Alder's Grove

October 24, 2004

"What about that one?"

Speed was curled against Gregori's leg in the middle of the Dining Hall, pointing out people he thought were attractive, or tasty, or good potential subs.

Gregori ran his hands through the boy's hair. He liked him here. It would be nice to not have compunctions about it.

"How about that one?" He pointed at a lovely Tenth Cohort, with dark eyes and honey-brown skin.

October 24, 2013
(See The Black House Stories for context)

If he hadn't know why Pretty had chosen to live with him...

Yaminah. Yaminah, because her two years under his collar were over...

He was certainly beginning to understand. She leaned against him, her shoulder blades to his.

The enemy was inside his walls, but they would not live. His Pretty had assured his survival along with her own.

October 17, 2004
"It's all right," Kendra reassured the scared-looking boy - man, legally - in front of her. "I have a trust fund."

It, in this case, was the little pink lines on the stick in front of her, which would bring her number of children to something between eight and 11, considering her luck.

And add that much more money to the "trust fund." Regine liked babies. Luckily, so did Kendra.

October 17, 2012

There wasn't supposed to be anyone out here. There weren't supposed to be any threats like this within a hundred miles of this city.

But the human at her door had suddenly grown fangs and started spitting out Workings.

"Get inside." She snapped it to her youngest child's father, who was probably old enough to know better. "Falke. Get the youngers and get them under cover."

She grabbed her walking stick - 6 feet of hawthorn, with the thorns still in the top foot - and blocked the door. "You're not getting anywhere near my kids, you bastard."

October 10, 2004

"Do you ever get the sense that all this is futile?" Rod, Aviv's house-mate, had the hunch-shouldered look that generally went along with depression or hangovers.

"School?" Aviv finished packing lunch.

"Everything." It was accompanied by a dramatic hand-flail.

"No." He couldn't help smiling. "Maybe you should have gone into medicine, not Law."

October 10, 2013

"You're one of them, aren't you?"

Aviv had his hand on someone's artery, keeping them from bleeding out. He didn't look up.

"I'm a doctor connected to the Red Cross, yes. Could you pass me that clamp?"

"You one of them.

Aviv had just enough to duck before the stick swung.

October 3, 2004

"Give me... four years." Arnbjorg and Jaya were studiously avoiding each other's glances, holding their mocha lattes and watching the steam. "Four years, until I'm done with school. I know, the extra year..."

"I can wait for another year. Especially with the kids."

"I'll know by then."

"I hope so."

---

October 3, 2013

"Xandro, we have to go." Jamian handed another duffle to his oldest child. "Here, Dom. Food, clothes."

"Dadimom..."

"Jame'..."

Dom and Xandro's objections rode over each other; they both stopped; Jamian sighed. He tried again. "Xandro. Bathroom. Dom. Food. It's not safe anymore."

It might not ever be safe again.