Out of all of the things that I expected on my first day interning at the MCIU (Mystic Crime Investigation Unit), being tackled in a hug by a girl with a high pitched squeal was not one of them. I immediately stiffened, even as I was propelled backwards, almost toppling the desk behind me. I am not a hugger, especially not with complete strangers who launch themselves at me from across the room. I turned my head, baffled, but I couldn't see her face. It was buried in my shoulder and hidden by thick black hair. Her arms tightened slightly as I tried to pull away.

"I missed you." She mumbled into my shoulder. It was hard to make out because it was so muffled, and only made me tense more. Who was this girl?

At that point I heard someone cough slightly and realized everyone in the room was staring at me. No! This is not how I wanted to make my first impression!

"Miss." I said as politely as I could under the circumstances. "I think you may have mistaken me for someone else."

"Don't be silly, Lucy." She lifted her chin so I could hear her more clearly. My skin prickled. I shifted uncomfortably. She drew back so that she could look me in the eye. I started at the pure white pupils set in a pair of dark brown irises. A seer. "I could never mistake someone else for you." The words might have been disconcerting if they hadn't been delivered so cheerfully with the white pupiled eyes of the seer positively beaming at me in a way that I had never associated with their solemn stereotype.

I relaxed slightly now that I had some personal space, though the girl's arms were still looped around my waist in a loose hug. I might have been imagining the many small grins around the room. It seemed as if my new colleagues were hiding them. Most of my attention was on the seer. I was surprised to note that she was younger than me, barely out of high school by my guess. She wasn't much shorter than I was and had the physique of one who was not yet finished growing. Her hair was long and full. Her skin was either very tan or very pale, it was impossible to tell since I could not discern her ethnicity and I wasn't exactly inclined to ask. She seemed to radiate a simple joy at my presence. But what stuck me most strongly was the fact that I had never met her before in my life.

A woman behind her cleared her throat. "Miranda, I'm sorry to interrupt, but we need to go follow up on the money trail for the hex racket." She smiled apologetically, though I really couldn't tell if it was at me or the seer, Miranda. Miranda's arms tightened around me slightly.

"But Kate," She began to protest. The woman shook her head.

"Now, Miranda." She said, firmly. Kate walked up and guided the reluctant seer away from me, to my relief. Miranda cast a worried, white pupiled glance back at me.

"I'll see you later. Right, Lucy?" She asked anxiously. Kate answered for me.

"Of course, you will." She assured Miranda, with a wide smile that seemed to turn into a devious smirk when she glanced back at me. "You'll be seeing a lot of Lucy. She's working here now." Miranda positively beamed. Kate pulled Miranda away, with one last glance at me, down a hall out of sight.

Leaving me completely bewildered. Conversations resumed but it didn't escape my notice that they were whispered, everyone was casting glances my way. I tried not to scowl (first impressions!). Great, as if it was my fault some girl  don't even know decided to make a scene. I straightened my shoulders and my shirt, then walked over to Sgt. William Dark. "Hello, sir." I greeted him with a smile. He was one of the people who had conducted my interview. It might have been my imagination, but I thought that he was looking at me differently. Somehow his expression was both amused and... knowing.

"Right this way, Miss. Mason." He led me over to a small desk with a computer. "This is where you'll be working." He went on to explain what I'd be doing. It was simple paperwork really, scanning case files, typing reports. Boring stuff, but an internship at the MCIU was an internship at the MCIU. It was crazy competitive just trying to transfer in. When five internships for college students were opened literally hundreds of people applied. Honestly, I'm astonished I made the cut, but I was not going to mess this up. So I started working with a cheery smile, and pointedly ignored the stares. It took me a while to put the strange encounter with Miranda out of my mind, but soon enough I was fully absorbed in my work.

I was so invested that the hours passed quickly. I was jolted from typing a summary of a potions smuggling ring when a tray of food was placed on top of the pages. My eyes raised to find Miranda smiling down at me, holding her own food. "Forgetting to eat again, Lucy?" She asked fondly. I raised an eyebrow. This girl clearly knew more about me than just my name. I thought that my father was the only one who realized that I didn't eat when I was absorbed in what I was doing. How did this stranger know? I lifted the tray and removed the file, unwilling to risk it becoming dirty. I put the papers away as Miranda pulled a chair over to my desk. She put her tray down. I eyed her, then my food. I was hungry, but I wasn't sure what to make of Miranda. I would have gone for my own food, but that seemed rather rude. Clearly this girl was important, since she'd been allowed in the MCIU at such a young age, so I didn't want to insult her. The fact remained, this familiarity was making me uncomfortable. Miranda blinked at me, apparently uncomprehending of my lack of a response.

"What's wrong?" She inquired. "It's your favorite." I looked down and was startled to see that the plate held a tuna sandwich with salt and vinegar chips. The truly surprising part was that there were cranberries mixed into the tuna. I pulled back and glanced up at her. This was getting weird. It was my favorite, but I didn't get to eat it often. Miranda was staring at me. The white pupils searching my face with concern. I had to say something.

"I don't think we've been formally introduced." I said, finally. "You're Miranda, right? I'm Lucy Mason." Miranda's jaw dropped.

"O- oh," She turned slightly red. "Oh! I'm so sorry." She held her hand over the table. "I'm Miranda Dai." I shook her head. Miranda pulled back, and beamed. "It's really great to meet you." Then something dawned on her. "Wait, did I hug you this morning?" She gasped.

"You did." I nodded warily. She was starting to flush.

"And this is the first time we've met?" She asked.

"It is." I confirmed with a nod. Miranda turned bright red.

"Oh," She looked down at her food. "I just... I'll be right back." Miranda excused herself rapidly and hurried away. I stared after her, as perplexed now as I had been this morning. I looked back down at the food she'd brought me, only to return my gaze across from me as Kate, the older woman, took the chair Miranda had just left with a sigh. She glanced up at me. I waited, clearly she had something to say to me. I ran my eyes over her again. Her hair was light brown, pulled back in a low ponytail. She was probably in her late thirties, married, as evidenced by the ring on her finger. My eyes settled on a rune on the ring, married to a mage, I amended. Though not a magic user herself, given her choice of gun (9 mil, favored by non-magic users) and protective charm. Overall, I got the impression that she was a no nonsense detective, who was valued in the MCIU for her practicality.

"You're confused." She stated.

"Very." I confessed. "I'm hoping that you are about to clear somethings up." Kate smiled grimly.

"I am, after a fashion." She contemplated my face. "We are very excited to have you here, Lucy." I could feel my irritation flare.

"So it would seem." I replied, trying not to let my annoyance show. Either I failed miserably or she was just a very good detective. She laughed slightly.

"Perhaps it would be easier to say, it's nice to finally meet you." She amended. "You see, we've heard a lot about you."

"From who?!" I asked, becoming outright frustrated. Who talked about me this much?

"From Miranda." Kate answered. I blinked. "Obviously you've noticed Miranda is a seer." Kate continued, ignoring my surprise. "Honestly, Miranda is one of the most powerful seers that we have ever encountered. Because of this, she sometimes has difficulty differentiating the future and the past." Kate held my eyes with her own. "She confuses her visions with her memories." Things were beginning to make sense, though they didn't make me feel any more comfortable.

"And she's had visions of me." I inferred flatly.

"Lots of them." Kate nodded. "You might have only met Miranda this morning, but she feels as if she has known you for years."

"To me she's a stranger." I argued. I felt like I was being asked for something I couldn't give. I didn't know what yet, but it seemed as if Kate (and the rest of the MCIU, if their reactions to the hug this morning was any indication) wanted something from me.

"To her, you are her best friend." Kate smiled at me, I felt like I'd been punched in the stomach. "Don't worry, you'll do fine."

An installment of In The Shadows... 

18 years ago…
 
The eight-year-old girl with brown hair and eyes peered around the corner. She had done her part. It had been surprisingly easy to pick the man’s pocket before he met with her mother. He was supposed to be a member of Pantheon and her mother had stressed how dangerous Pantheon was. The girl tried to contain her proud smile, watching her mother greet the man. Maybe this meant she was ready for more important jobs. Maybe-

Pain spiked from the top of her skull. She stumbled forward and it was a testament to her lifestyle that she didn’t cry out. The girl whirled around, but instead of an adult she found herself staring at a little girl, about a year or two younger than her, with blonde hair and grey eyes. The blond girl stared back, as if surprised that she had not successfully knocked her out wit the butt of the gun she was holding. The top of the brown haired girl’s head was still throbbing. She narrowed her eyes at the other child.

“That hurt!” She snarled and launched herself at the blonde in a tackle, knocking the gun out of her hand. The two girls tumbled to the ground. When her mother and the man from Pantheon came to stand over their wayward operatives they were still fighting; the gun lying forgotten a few feet away.



Seven months later…

The young blonde Pantheon member pushed her to the ground and landed on top of her. Down the street the bomb detonated prematurely, rubble showered down around them and the screaming began. The brown haired girl rolled them under a vendor’s cloth covered table before they could be trampled by panicked civilians. The blondie pulled back and looked around at the canvas walls created by the tablecloth. “Not bad, freelancer.” She reluctantly admitted.

“Not bad yourself, lapdog.” The other girl replied, a smirk pulling at her mouth.



One year later…

“Get him a little more to the left.” The blonde girl’s whisper came through her headpiece. The brown haired girl smiled at the target, then turned and ran to the left.

“Hey!” He shouted, starting after her. The girl heard the shot, followed by the short cry of pain and the thud of a falling body. She glanced back before she scurried away.

“Nice shot.” She muttered. On the other side of the headpiece, a small blonde child smiled as she dissembled the gun.



Two years later….

The Filli blinked in surprise then smiled at Hecate, the Pantheon assassin who was working with the Femme Fatale. “So they gave you a codename, lapdog.” Hecate rolled her grey eyes but she couldn’t quite hide her pride. Ten years old was astonishingly young to receive a codename from the Pantheon.

“You’re doing pretty well too, freelancer.” Hecate eyed her mentor, silently impressed that the girl she’d known so long would one day become the next Femme Fatale. If she survived that long. “I wasn’t sure if I’d see you again.”

“Me neither.” The Filli admitted with a shrug. “But Femme says Pantheon hires us a lot.”

“That’s because the Femme Fatale does good work.” Hecate’s mouth twitched as she almost smiled. “I’m sure you will too.”

“Filli,” Femme called, she nodded at Hecate and jogged back to her mentor.
 


Three hours later…

The Filli glanced up as the Femme spoke to her, speaking in French as usual when they were alone. “You know that we will not always be working for the Pantheon.” She reminded her student. “Often we are working against them.”

“Of course.” The girl looked at her in surprise. “Why do you mention it?”

“Hecate.” The Femme answered. Understanding flashed across the Fillia’s face and her eyes hardened.

“I do not need to trust her to like her.” She replied. “I know if ordered, she would kill me. And she knows that is she’s in my way I’ll kill her.” The Femme smiled and patted her shoulder.

“I am glad you understand how friendship works.” She said.

“Obviously.” The girl’s smile would have frightened a grown man. “We are children, not fools.”



One year later…

Hecate rolled away from her sniper rifle and to her feet, narrowly avoiding the bullet that embedded itself in the concrete shed been lying on. She glanced up at the twelve year old advancing on her with a gun. “Bodyguard work? Really?” She scoffed.

“He wanted the best.” The Filli smirked.

“The best won’t save him from the Pantheon.” Hecate responded. The Filli’s jaw set and she fired. Hecate dove behind a pillar and pulled a small gun from her ankle holster. And so the gunfight began in earnest.



Two months later…

“How’s the leg?” The Filli asked as she unwrapped a lollipop, eyeing the boy her age. The Pantheon had hired her and the Femme Fatale to kidnap him.

“Alright, Persephone fixed me up pretty well. How’s the shoulder?”

“Still a little stiff.” The Filli suppressed a wince when she shrugged.

“Well, I hope you shoot as well with your other hand.” Hecate remarked as she moved to intercepted one of the boy’s bodyguards, an eleven-year-old girl looked innocent enough to slip right under his notice.

The Filli laughed. “You know I do.” 

I'm doing fairly well with NaNoWriMo! And yes, I have gotten to the part where you left off, the section of the novel I'm calling Powerless. After the events of Power Play Caroline gradually loses everything. Despite that... I can't seem to take her best friend Maisy from her. I know I should just destroy her... But I can't seem to crack that bestie bond she's got with Maisy... Whom none of you know much about yet! So here's a sneak peek!


​

Maisy burst into the room. “I found another one!” Joan eyed her critically.

“You’re supposed to be asleep.” She growled accusingly. Maisy looked awful, bags under her eyes, hair sticking up at odd angles.

“Sleep can wait.” She waved her hands dismissively. She shoved her phone at Caroline. “She was just in Mexico.” Joan typed on the computer quickly.

“Found it.” She skimmed the text. “They are calling her la bruja de los santos.”

“What’s that?” Caroline asked blankly.

“It’s Spanish for ‘the witch of the saints’.” Maisy answered. Joan raised an eyebrow at her. “What? You thought I wouldn’t pick some stuff up dating Jimmy?” She scoffed.

“It seems as if she’d doing good work there.” Joan went back to reading.

“Is she still around?” Hans leaned over her shoulder, trying to decipher the Spanish on the screen.

““No…” She answered slowly, putting the most recent update through the translator. “Seems like she cleared out a couple hours ago.” Caroline slumped. Maisy leaned back against the table, defeated. Hans noticed.

“That’s it. Bed, both of you.” He ordered in a voice that brooked no argument.

“I can still look!” Maisy protested. Joan scoffed. Maisy shot her a dirty look.

“And I have to be ready when we find her!” Caroline exclaimed straightening. “There has to be more we can do!”

“Maisy, you’re two hours sleep away from deprivation induced hysteria.” Hans crossed his arms. “And Caroline,” Caroline’s fevered, desperate eyes met her prince’s, and he softened noticeably. “Just get some sleep. Please, princess?” Caroline didn’t want to. She was absolutely desperate to find Myriah, but the concern in Hans’ eyes pulled at her. She bowed her head in acquiescence.

“Come on, Maisy.” She said quietly, reaching out and taking her hand. “I can loan you a robe and nightgown.” Maisy frowned, but let herself be led up the stairs. Caroline stopped in front of her private bathroom. “You could use some freshening up. I’ll grab your clothing while you shower.” Caroline left Maisy, practically fleeing to her room.

Caroline struggled to pull out the bed tucked under her own. Maisy often used it when she’d stayed over too late to feel safe going home. When she managed to slide it out, she fell slightly, landing on her butt. Instead of trying to stand she hid her face in her hands. She was trembling. She didn’t know what she was doing.

When she collected herself, she went to her closet. She reached for the satin gown and then hesitated. Caroline loved the satin gown, but Maisy, she turned to the drawer and pulled out the flannel pajamas that she almost never wore. Maisy liked to look glamorous, but she actually loved things warm and practical. She’d sleep better in the flannels. Caroline left the pajamas just inside the bathroom door. She returned to her bedroom, and sat numbly on the bed, staring at the wall as if Hans was about to shout through it that they had a way. That they had found the witch and they had a way to return Caroline to her former self.

She didn’t even look up when Maisy walked in, toweling her hair off. Her best friend sat beside her on the bed. “The shower helped.” She said. Caroline didn’t respond. “It got me thinking…” Maisy hesitated. “Maybe this isn’t such a bad thing.” Caroline’s head whipped around. She stared at Maisy with eyes full of betrayal. “No, Caroline, please just hear me out.” She took her best friend’s limp hands in her own. “Healing has always been a bother to you. Let Myriah do it. Let her suffer through the exhaustion and the nausea.” Maisy’s hands tightened reassuringly. “If you can’t heal, no one will have any reason to kidnap you, no one will ever try to force you into something, no one will try to befriend you just because their aunt or mother or cousin is ill and break your heart when they ask for ‘this one tiny favor’ that leaves you feeling sick for days.” Maisy’s words were logical, but in Caroline’s head, they didn’t make sense.

“But…” She faltered and tears began leaking from her eyes. “It’s wrong.” Maisy’s breath caught.

“Oh, Caroline.” She pulled her into a hug. Caroline was almost unresponsive.

“I won’t be a princess anymore. I won’t be me.” Caroline started shaking with emotion. “I’m not a princess any more.” Caroline began sobbing. “Oh god, who am I? It’s like Myriah kidnapped the important part of me and let the rest of me go!” Maisy made comforting hushing sounds and tipped them over so they were lying on the bed. Caroline finally reacted to Maisy, but it was only to clutch at her like a lifeline. “She’s the princess now!” Caroline sobbed hysterically, hands knotted in Maisy’s flannel shirt, the same shirt absorbing a majority of her tears. “She’s the princess and the witch! And I’m nothing!” Caroline was in absolute hysterics, barely aware of Maisy there comforting her. When she finally cried herself into exhaustion and then sleep, Maisy was there.

She was also there when the former princess woke up. Sleeping beside her, arms still curled around her friend as if she could protect her from facing the world without her identity. Caroline stayed there for a time, pretending that she could.  

I must be crazy. I'll dedicate a lot more time to it tomorrow morning. I need to do 1,667 words a day. It's looking like I'll have about 3,000 words to do tomorrow. Man, wish me luck!

Track my progress!

Sneak peek of Chapter 1!

Metal struck metal with a resounding clash as Hans brought up his sword to ward off the attack. Caroline’s breath caught behind him but she did not waver, confident in his ability to protect her. Hans gritted his teeth and angled the sword, whipping the mace out of the goblin’s hands and into a wall. The goblin tensed and backed away. Hans’ eyes narrowed, and he used the hilt of the sword to strike the monster’s temple. He crumpled to the dirt floor, motionless but for his breathing. Hans lowered the sword but did not relax. He felt Caroline’s soft, slim hand on his forearm.

“You’re hurt.” She said quietly. Hans allowed her to draw his arm away from his side and touch the wound. His eyes closed slightly, as he felt the energy be drawn from her into the lesion. The skin knit itself together briefly replaced with a scar, then the scar smoothed itself out of existence and the only remaining evidence that Hans had been harmed was a torn shirt and drying blood. Caroline sighed and leaned against him. Hans adjusted himself so that he could wrap an arm around her.

“Thank you.” He murmured. She smiled up at him briefly before scowling around at the cave. The wooden door was usually fitted in the entrance hung loosely from one of its hinges where Hans had knocked it down. The bare bulb that hung from the ceiling was the only evidence of the modern world in the room.

“Unbelievable.” She muttered, annoyed. Hans resisted the urge to roll his eyes. She hated it when people kidnapped her and didn’t bother to confine her in reasonable accommodations. “Where does Myriah find these people?” Even though the Grey-Goblin Guild had taken her this time, there was no doubt who was behind all of it.

“Any idea what this group wants with you?” He asked, keeping his voice low. She sighed and shook her head. Hans pulled away from her and crept to the door where he peered out. “Well, clearly they weren’t prepared. I didn’t face nearly enough resistance when I came for my rescue.” Hans frowned. “Must mean that Myriah didn’t warn them what to expect.” What was she up to?

Caroline came and stood behind him. “Just proves that she’s as treacherous to her allies as she is to the innocents.” She scoffed. Hans frowned, his face still turned away from her’s. Despite Myriah’s actions, the statement didn’t ring true. Myriah might be malicious, but she was never cruel.

“Come on,” Hans moved confidently into the hall. Caroline following closely behind him.

The ninth installment of Out of the Shadows.

John Howle missed coffee. He glared at the pathetic brew in the coffee pot he'd been forced to buy. No, not just coffee, he missed coffee from Joan's Joe. Despite the fact that he had gone to the coffee shop and bought a cup twice a day for the past two days. He still hadn't gotten his caffeine fix. The reason he found himself so appallingly deprived was as infuriating as it was petty.

Felicity was mad at him.

Three days ago, the enigma known as Felicity Doran had informed him that she was attending the event hosted by Senator Winston that weekend and asked him to sign a pass for her to enter the building. He'd known what she was really asking. Everyone at these events underwent a background check, one much more through than the one he'd run on her when she'd first began working across the street. If he issued her a pass, the background check would be waived.

The idea was ludicrous. He and Felicity might have a... unique working dynamic, but he was in charge of security. He wasn't about to allow an unknown factor like Felicity free reign of an area with so much sensitive material. If she wanted in, she'd have to submit to the background check, hope that her cover was good enough, and deal with the extra security that he was definitely putting on the event now. He hadn't fully realized the repercussions of saying no until the next morning when Felicity finished preparing his coffee, smiled at him sweetly, and popped the lid on without taking a sip first.

It had taken him three hours trying to drink it before he'd given up and tossed the cardboard cup, and its contents, into the garbage. He hadn't managed a single mouthful, not when he thought of all of the things Felicity might have added to it every time he brought the drink to his lips. That night, Felicity did the same thing, smiling at him and making a show of placing the lid on the cup without taking a sip.

Howle suspected she hadn't done a thing to his drink. Logically, she wouldn't. They had a repertoire, an understanding of sorts. After all, he could make her life very difficult if he wanted to, but he didn't. And she could dose his drink anytime with something she was immune to or had the antidote for, but she didn't. None of that stopped the information he had on poisons from flooding every time he tried to drink the coffee. The next day was the same. Today he’d bought a coffee pot. He’d been tempted to throw the thing against the wall when it produced a liquid that tasted both burnt and too weak to be called coffee.
 
He didn’t have time for this. There was an Indian national that Howle was almost positive had a price on his head coming for a clandestine meeting with General Morris and Howle had to figure out how to juggle his staff so he’d always have a guard on him without anyone working out the man was actually there. In addition to that, he had meetings with security details from four different countries. This was not a good day for Felicity to be acting like a child.
 
When Sally walked in with her usual paperwork that needed his signature, the first thing Howle noticed was the paper cup in her hand. His eyes locked on the logo for Joan’s Joe. “Wow, you look awful.” She flushed as she realized how insulting her words sounded. “I mean, are you alright?”
 
“Just a little caffeine deprived.” He answered. Sally took the hint and placed the cup on his desk.
 
“I only took a few sips. You should be fine if you take off the lid.” She said, adjusting her papers to find what she was looking for. Only Sally would hand over her coffee to him instead of being intimidated. Howle pulled the top off the cup and practically inhaled the coffee.
 
Which is why he didn’t register the scent of cyanide until halfway through his third swallow.
 
He choked; dropped the cup and started coughing up the poison. “John!” Sally cried losing her grip on the files as she rushed around the desk to stand beside him, hand out stretched, ready to help. “Are you okay?” As Howle’s lungs cleared of the liquid he realized that there couldn’t have been cyanide in the drink. He wasn’t experiencing any of the symptoms and Sally said she’d had some and was fine. Howle frowned and grabbed the cup from the middle of the brown stain spreading on his carpet. He sniffed it and it definitely smelled like cyanide.
 
“Did Felicity put anything in this?” He asked, turning to Sally.
 
“Um, yeah. She offered to let me try some almond sweetener for free.” Her eyes widened. “You aren’t allergic to nuts, are you?”
 
Howle assured her he wasn’t. Any admiration he might have for Felicity’s creativity was overcome by irritation. Cyanide and almonds had similar smells, which meant that Felicity had just tricked him into wasting a perfectly good cup of coffee without even being in the building.
 
That night, when Howle went to get a coffee on the off chance Teddy would take his order, he was confronted by an almost gleeful Joan. “What did you do to tick her off?” She asked, the ever-present twang in her voice becoming more pronounced as she tried to curb her amusement.
 
“It’s complicated.” He growled as he watched Felicity neatly snag his cup from Teddy and start filling it herself.
 
“He won’t clear me for the event with Sally.” Felicity clarified shortly.
 
“What?” Teddy fumbled with the cups he was stacking, fortunately they weren’t the mugs. “Does Sally know?”
 
“Oh, Felicity can go.” Howle smirked. It was a low blow but he was going on three days without coffee, and it wasn’t like he was lying. “She just has to submit to the background check.” Joan’s eyebrows shot up. Teddy tossed his friend a confused glance, and Felicity glared at him.
 
“Oh?” Joan’s eyes sparkled. “You got something to hide, sugar?” She looked positively delighted and Howle felt a kind of smug satisfaction that Felicity was going to be grilled by her boss until she made up something that satisfied her.
 
“Everyone’s got something to hide. You know that, Joan.” She answered lightly, as if that would get her off the hook.
 
“I’ll keep it completely confidential.” He assured them, his smirk widening. Felicity must have been about ready to throttle him. She slammed the cup down in front of him.
 
“I like my privacy.” She said through gritted teeth. Howle shrugged.
 
“Then you can’t go to the event.” He turned and walked out, leaving the coffee but feeling strangely invigorated. Through the window he could see a livid Felicity, confused Teddy, and Joan in such a fit of belly laughter he could hear it through the glass.
 
 
 
He was facing a mutiny. Felicity and Teddy were refusing to sell coffee to anyone on his staff. When asked why, they were told to ask him. (Apparently Joan found the entire business to hysterical to be bothered by how it would affect her sales.) His staff was dealing with it in a range of ways, from mild resentment to his computer expert, Jessica Jane, streamlining energy drinks that were making her twitchy enough to snap at everything that move. Suffice to say, no one was in a good mood that day, and they weren’t as productive as they should have been.
 
That was when Howle decided it was time to call a ceasefire. His people needed to always be on their toes, petty grievances or not.
 
When John Howle walked into Joan’s Joe that evening, his eyes were hard and his shoulders tense. Felicity noticed immediately and fell into a subtle ready stance with the ease of instinct. She eyed him warily as he approached the counter. “Listen to me, Felicity. I can’t issue you a pass.” Anger flashed in the barista’s eyes and she opened her mouth. “You aren’t listening, Felicity.” He cut her off before she could start. “I can’t sign a pass for you.” Comprehension softened her face even as her eyes widened and lips parted in surprise. “I’m glad we understand each other.” Howle turned and walked out of the café without ordering anything.
 
The next day Howle found Felicity Doran listed as Sally Turner’s plus one with approval granted by General Ian Morris, which was reason enough to forgo the usual background check. His staff was sufficiently caffeinated and the day passed quickly. He soon found himself walking into Joan’s Joe. Felicity looked up as he entered. She watched him come up to the counter.
 
“General Morris must like you.” He commented casually She didn’t say anything, still watching him. He understood why. He had the power to order a background check despite any approval she might get. That was probably why she came directly to him in the first place. “Security’s going to be a nightmare to organize on Saturday.” Felicity relaxed, taking this for the consent that it was, and started making his coffee. She took a sip and popped the lid in place.
 
“On the house.” She said, placing it in front of him.
 
“Good, because you owe me six.” Howle picked up the cup and finally took a sip without worrying about a thing.
 
As he left, he distinctly heard Teddy laughing. “All this for something you don’t actually want to go to.”
 
“Oh, can it. It’s for Sally.” Felicity snapped good-naturedly.
 
Howle smiled to himself. Security really was going to be headache inducing to arrange, but at least now he had coffee to help him through it.

So there they were. Drifting through space. Waiting for their air to run out. Just the five of them and the void.

“I cheated on the proficiency exam for engineering.” Telan blurted out suddenly. The others looked at him. He ran his hands nervously through his hair. He was covered in soot and looked almost black. "I know it was wrong and I swear I know all the answers! It's just..." He looked up at them with pleading orange eyes that were made more luminous by the dark grime coating his skin. “I freeze up on tests." No one said anything for a long moment. Telan let his head fall in shame, looking small with his back pressed against the wall of the insulated cargo container.

“Telan, I've seen you rebuild the engine with a wrench, string, and what looked like cotton candy.” Telan opened his mouth to explain exactly what the 'cotton candy' was but Ceno held up one scaled hand to stop him. "I don't want to know what it was. My point is that you are- were a valuable member of the crew, and if you had to cheat to get here, I'm glad you did." Ceno seemed to realize what she'd just said. "Not that I'm glad that you're stuck here." She deflated slightly as she remembered where they were. Telan smiled, ducking his head has fully even as his eyes glistened with tears.

Meanwhile the gravity of the situation was truly setting in for the others. "If cheating on a test is the worst thing you've ever done, you've got nothing to worry about, kid." A gruff voice assured him. All eyes turned to Wilt, a big man, who had been a janitor on the ship. He laughed at their surprise. "Don't be so shocked. When you're a janitor it is astonishing what you learn... You wouldn't believe what you learn." His face darkened. "Or the temptation to use that knowledge when you do." Ceno was staring at him with new eyes.

"You're the blackmailer." The former head of security breathed. Wilt laughed hollowly.

"What are you going to do, Ceno? Throw me in the brig?" He asked. Ceno bit a scaly lip. “You arrest people for doing the wrong thing. I just make them pay in another way.” His voice lacked conviction and he just sounded like a tired old man with too many regrets.

She understood regret. “It’s not my place to judge you.” She answered, her voice strained. Wilt frowned at her. “Not with what I was involved in before I came aboard.” She choked. Telan reached out with a hesitant hand and touched her shoulder. Ceno leaned into the gesture and Telan could feel her trembling. It was a far cry from the resolute chief of security they all knew. Ceno seemed to realize this, because she drew a shuddering breath and straightened her shoulders. “I’ve carried this with me far too long.” She said more steadily. “And someone else should know, even if they are going at the same time I am.” She looked around at each of them before she focused her stare on the opposite wall. “You remember the shootings on Kelvas 9?” She asked dully. The others nodded slowly. Kelvas 9 had suffered mass casualties from insurgent attacks. “It wasn’t insurgents. It was the military.” Ceno began to cry. She showed absolutely no signs of it save the wet streams now trailing down her face. “We didn’t know. We were just following orders.” Ceno scoffed, full of disgust for herself and her fellow soldiers. “As if that’s an excuse.” She swallowed. “When we learned the truth, myself and four others killed our CO.” A bitter smile curled around her mouth. “We made it look like insurgents. It seemed fitting since he labeled so many innocents as insurgents to have us murder them for him.” Ceno clenched her jaw. “But the worst thing we did, was cover it up. The fact that the military had been killing civilians would have only created more bloodshed. It would have dragged innocent soldiers through the mud.” Her hands clenched. “Covering the entire thing up wasn’t right but-” Ceno’s voice cracked. Suddenly there were arms around her. Telan was hugging her tightly, like the little brother she’d never had. Wilt had a fatherly hold around her shoulder; and Rak, who had remained silent up until now, had moved across the cargo container to gently hold one of her hands in both of his. Everyone was quiet for a moment. Then Wilt spoke.

“You stopped him from hurting anyone else. You protected your fellow soldiers. No one could ask for anything else.” Ceno met Wilt’s weary eyes.

“You already knew.” She whispered, staring at the old man. “And you didn’t…”

“Blackmail?” The corners of his mouth lifted in a small smile. “I can only blackmail someone if they did something wrong.” Telan’s arms tightened as he nodded into her shoulder, and Rak squeezed her hand in support. After a moment, she relaxed. When the small group finally separated, Ceno felt lighter than she had in years.

Wilt cleared his throat and turned to Konak, the feathered weapons officer. “I think you have something to say as well.” Konak glared at him sourly.

“Right, blackmailer.” He growled. “I want my money back.”

“Wouldn’t do you much good now.” Telan pointed out, still sitting next to Ceno, leaning on her supportively.

Konak scoffed at the boy, then, under the heavy glare of Wilt, he heaved a massive sigh. “Fine, it’s not as if it matters now. Plus, nothing looks bad after Ceno’s little revelation.” Everyone glared at him. “I was dating Kiri.” He admitted. “And Lili. And Jin… Koni and Mi and Shif.” The others were torn between judging him and pitying him as the tears began to fall. They had all lost people today. Their ship, their entire crew, was gone. Konak was sobbing now. The sound filled the cargo container. No one said anything. Gradually, Konak’s grief wound itself down to hiccupping sobs, then sniffles, he couldn’t stop his tears.

“I love you, Ceno.” Rak suddenly broke the tension that had filled the container. Everyone looked at him. He flushed to his ice blue hair and dropped his ivory eyes. “I just thought you should know…” He mumbled. An awkward silence ensued. Then Telan cleared his throat.

“And what about you, Whiley?” He asked the one person who hadn’t spoken. She was one of the new recruits on the ship, they didn’t know her well, and now they never would. “What do you have to get off your chest?”

“Me? Nothing I’m telling you.” She laughed. Everyone stared at her. Whiley was trying to pull her tangled braid apart, she must have been doing it the whole time. “You are all confessing to these things because you think we are all going to die.” She shrugged, and gave up on the snarled white, soot-streaked hair, tossing it behind her. “Yeah, the chances of survival are pretty much non-existent, but on the off chance that it happens, you all have to live with the rest of us knowing your secrets.” Whiley leaned back and laced her fingers behind her head. “I’m not taking that chance.” The instant she finished speaking the cargo container jolted, sending its occupants sprawling against one wall. Sound echoed through the space as the container shifted again and settled. They were all groaning as they disentangled themselves from each other. They looked around, though there were no windows or readouts to give them their baring. Then it happened.

Knock knock knock.

They stared at the wall. Telan jumped violently when the panel unsealed with a hiss of air. All of them stared in shock as the door opened to reveal a hairless humanoid on two legs.

“Oh, excellent.” He grinned. “I thought there were life forms in here, but my instruments were giving me particular readings.” The man squared his shoulders. “Well, if that wreckage out there is your’s it seems that you lot need a new ship. Since I need a few more crew members, this works out rather well, wouldn’t you agree?” His statement was met with silence. He frowned. Then Telan started laughing hysterically.

“She was right!” He gasped, pointing at Whiley who was wearing a smug expression. “My god, she was right!” Ceno put a hand on Telan’s shoulder to indicate he should calm down before moving past him.

“I am Ceno Cantar of the Dyron Fleet.” She introduced herself.

“Name’s Fin.” The man introduced himself. “Your new captain.”

The eight installment of Out of the Shadows.

Sally practically skipped into the coffee shop three hours before her usual coffee run. She went straight for Felicity. “What are you doing this Saturday?” Sally asked her.

“I was going to fix my TV.” Felicity answered, eyeing the younger woman. “Now I’m guessing I am doing something with you instead.”

“Bingo!” Sally produced a ticket and scrap of paper with a flourish. “You’re coming to Senator Winston’s fundraiser with me.”

“I really don’t think-” Felicity began.

“It’s black tie, pick me up at four.” Sally pointed at the address on the paper. “Come early if you don’t have anything nice to wear.” Sally beamed at Felicity so brightly that the former assassin was temporarily blinded. “Don’t be late!” Sally turned and hurried from the café. Felicity was temporarily stunned. She looked at Teddy and Sasha who had watched the whole thing with amusement.

“What just happened?” Felicity had undergone interrogations that she felt more in control of than that conversation.

Teddy chuckled. “You, my friend, have just been shanghaied into the dreaded ‘plus one’ work function.”

“How?” Felicity asked, bewildered. When exactly had she lost her edge so completely that she could be ambushed by a college intern?

“She cut you off before you could say no.” Sasha grinned.

“But I didn’t say yes!” Felicity protested.

“True,” Sasha agreed. “But how will she feel if you don’t show up?” Felicity stared at her. Then, to Teddy’s surprise, Felicity swore. She had been well and truly cornered. Felicity grabbed the ticket and the address and stalked into the backroom. She had no idea where she was going to find an appropriate dress before Saturday.
Sasha watched her go. “I ship it.” She stated.

“What?!” Teddy yelped, dropping the mug he’d been drying off. “Sasha, you can’t ship real people!” He hissed with a panicked look where Felicity had disappeared.

“Too bad.” Sasha had the sort of grin on her face that he associated with her fanfiction consumption. “I ship it. Salicity forever.” Teddy suppressed a groan. He knew that she’d been disappointed with their utter failure setting Felicity up on speed dates, but this was ridiculous.

He opened his mouth to dissuade the fangirl, only to close it when Felicity walked back in the café. She was still muddled enough that she didn’t notice the new way that Sasha was looking at her. Teddy’s mind scrambled for ways to keep Sasha away from Felicity (and Sally), while he swept up the mess. How could he protect someone from a shipper? Teddy groaned. They were all doomed.

Two part post because I can't let a title like "Novel thoughts" go to waste without a couple of interesting thoughts but this is relevant!

Part 1 - The Main Point
I've been thinking about writing a novel a lot. You've seen many of my short stories. I've been wanting to work on a novel for a long time now. I have plans for five or six novels. SciFi, Fantasy, SciFantasy. I've got them all. But I'm having trouble picking. Plus, I do have other things I'm working on such as Sword & Scepter Saga.

One idea I was playing with was just making Princess' Path into a novel. Thoughts?

I have so many novel ideas. But I'm worried it will cut back on the blog stories... And picking which one to write is really difficult! I should probably just set time aside for the novel work.

Part 2 - The Title
Random quotes of the day that I have posted... A lot of these are just things I've thought or said.
Quote of the Day: "I know the criminal mind. I should. I've got one myself."
Quote of the Day: "I'm not mad. Eccentric, certainly, but not mad."
Quote of the Day: "The assassin is vegan?"
Quote of the Day: "Deader than a corpse during the zombie apocalypse."
Quote of the Day: "You're not a terrible person, you just have terrible taste sometimes."
Quote of the Day: "Cross my heart... and my fingers."
Quote of the Day: "I feel absurd. I don't like feeling absurd."
Quote of the Day: “That guy’s more paranoid than a schizo on the run from the FBI...”
Quote of the Day: "Oh! Kay... So much hugging... Why is there so much hugging?"
Quote of the Day: "Context changes everything."
Thought of the Day: If you think enemies are better than friends, you have some serious problems.

Follow me on twitter for more thoughts and quotes of the Day!


Bonus!
Exchange of the Day:
Roommate: "So what are you going to be for Halloween?"
Me: "Oh, I have three costumes."
Roommate: "Of course you do."

A new Out of the Shadows...


Felicity had a bad habit of underestimating civilians. It was perfectly reasonable. they didn't have her skills. They didn't know how to kill, cheat, or steal. So, she had assumed they also didn't know how to manipulate, trick, and lie as convincingly as a politician covering his butt. It had never been so humiliating to be proven wrong.

Felicity gaped at the banner hanging over the bar that read "Film-ophile Speed Dating". She spun on Teddy. "You said this was a Cinema Critic activity Sasha couldn't attend!" She snarled accusingly.

"It is... sorta." Teddy smirked. "She organized it, so she can't participate." Similar mischievous grins were on the faces of the rest of the Critics.

"You're all in on this, aren't you?" Felicity demanded, grabbing the ends of her hair and pulling it taunt. Joan letting us go early. Me missing lunch so I'll accept a free dinner. Even Sally canceling the movies with me because of work!"

"No, actually Sally made plans with you to keep us from doing this." Teddy frowned. "We had to ask General Morris to get Senator Winston to keep her late." Felicity made a mental note to buy Sally a fruit basket, or a card, or whatever you got friends who protected you from speed dating.

"I'm leaving." Felicity turned on her heel to stomp out. She found herself immediately glomped by five Cinema Critics while she valiantly suppressed her instincts to kill them all.

"Don't go!" Valerie cried, clinging to her arm.

"It's for your own good!" Taylor added, his arms awkwardly around Valerie to get a hold on her.
 
"We aren't letting you leave." Teddy's grip tightened around her neck, in a strange combination of a chokehold and a backwards hug. Felicity considered her options. She could escape. She could probably even do it without hurting anyone... But Teddy would find her at work. They all could find her at work, and it seemed that Joan was involved too, which meant that she could send her straight into a trap disguised as an errand (which was a horrible abuse of power, but she was the owner so who was going to stop her?). Her best course of action was probably to just go alone with it and hope they lost interest once they'd been appeased.

"You are all terrible people." Felicity stated in as dry a voice as possible. The Critics collectively released a half cheer, half sigh of relief. They pulled away, but remained close enough to be able to grab her if she made a break for it.

"We might be terrible people, but we're awesome friends." Teddy informed her with brotherly sadism as he dragged her to a table by the neck using one arm. Felicity was sure it looked like a friend guiding a reluctant buddy instead of the calculated kidnapping it was.

"No, you're terrible." Felicity reiterated flatly. Her words had no affect on the Critics, who beamed at her between their own conversations. Felicity was beginning to feel like the club's unofficial mascot. Sasha's eyes positively lit up when she saw Felicity.

"You got her!" She squealed. She seized both of Felicity's hands and practically bounced in place before she pulled the resistant Felicity to the center of the room.

"You're going to be right here." Sasha declared, sitting her down at a two person table. Lori and Cat sat at the tables on either side of her, presumable to box her in. How cute, they were trying to trap her. She'd never thought people she wanted to kill were adorable before. Sasha was beaming at her widely. Felicity shifted slightly.

The tables around them began to fill. Felicity order a bourbon, neat. Sasha began her role as a bubbly hostess. "Welcome everyone! You've all filled out the personality flyers!" Across the room Teddy waved a piece of paper he must have filled out for her. She glowered at him. "So while we rate those, begin! Remember, opening questions must be related to movies!"

And so the torture commenced.
 

Date 1: Awful
Felicity thought this man was a few years too old to be at college speed dating. And what kind of guy said their favorite genre was RomCom? A guy trying to get laid. Pass!
 
Date 2: Awkward
Felicity was pretty sure he was intimidated by her. They pretty much sat in silence until Sasha came by and tried to encourage conversation between them by asking questions. All she got was one word answers from either side.
 
Date 3: Pretentious
He said his favorite movie was Citizen Kane.
 
Date 4: Actually kinda fun... in a purely platonic, little brother, way
They talked about scifi and thrillers, and moved on to why they were there. He'd been dragged by his friends because they thought he needed to get over his recent break up. Felicity reminded him of his older sister. She eagerly suggested they use each other to escape the dating by pretending they were going to go out... Unfortunately Lori had a particularly boring date and was evesdropping. She signaled Shasha and the bell rang forty-five seconds early. The little brother figure was dragged away and immediately replaced with...

Date 5: Annoying.
Felicity was sulking about losing her new little brother figure, and this new guy kept trying to talk to her.
 
Date 6: Weird
Opened with "Heaven must be missing an angel." Ended with "It seems you've lost your number, don't worry, you can have mine."
 
Date 7: The Worst
He kept getting her her personal space. He grabbed her hand, she pulled it away. He nudged her foot, she tucked her feet behind the legs of her chair. She started mentally counting all of the ways she could kill him. She was at fourteen, and ready to execute number four if the hand inching towards her thigh made contact, when Sasha "accidentally" whacked him in the head with her clipboard while she was walking by.
 
Date 8: Teddy
Felicity glared at him. Teddy shifted uncomfortably. After a full minute of strained silence Teddy broke.
"Say something." He begged.
"I hate you." Felicity said flatly. Teddy laughed, there was only the slightest note of unease, so Felicity continued. "I want to kill you, but I keep reminding myself I'll regret it if I actually do." She paused. "I'm not sure why I'll regret it, but I'm sure I will."
"You'd miss my homemade chili?" Teddy suggested lightly, clearly unaware of the danger he was actually in. Felicity's glare sharpened.
"Teddy, I have had more enjoyable dates in a detainment facility." Felicity said in a rare moment of honesty. Teddy finally met her eyes and actually flinched, suddenly he was a lot less confident than he had been. "If chili is the only thing saving you. You are in serious danger." Teddy swallowed. Felicity's stare didn't waver.
"I'll track down that Korean film you've been dying to see." He offered. Felicity didn't move. It was unnerving. "I'll give you a new fedora." Teddy had no idea why he was so terrified. This was Felicity. Sure, she was secretive, tough, and vaguely intimidating, but she wouldn't actually hurt anyone. Felicity's hand twitched and Teddy flinched. "I'll get you into that movie shoot Sally was talking about!" Teddy suggested desperately.
Felicity blinked. "Really?" Teddy seized on the interest in her voice.
"Yes!" It would take some doing, and he'd end up owing a few favors, but if he put Felicity in a better mood, maybe this irrational fear would go away. That would be more than worth it.
"Sally too?" Felicity asked suspiciously.
"Yes!" Teddy nodded fervently. Felicity considered it.
"Fine." Teddy sighed as the bell rang. "And Teddy," Felicity added before he got up. "I'll still be taking that movie and hat." Teddy groaned.
The rest of the (awful) dates passed rather quickly. At least one good thing came out of this. Sally was going to be overjoyed.