by Hyakunichisou 13 (百日草 十三) It wasn’t until he had time to sit and stare into the dying fire long past the early winter sunset that Fen realized how alone he was. He could feel the emptiness of the smaller room upstairs as if it were chaff weighing down a sack. His breathing was louder […]
Category Archives: Text
18
Dec
Some of Us Are Looking at the Stars
by Togi Kayako (土宜草子) Enji’s pod door flashed green to alert him of an official summons, switching to a low, pleasant chime when the camera saw him roll over to face the wall by his cot. The chime repeated four more times before being replaced by a cheap-ass synthesized voice: “Mr. Dariagn Junior, your presence […]
18
Dec
How to Write Haiku
by H.P. Lovecock (力。下。愛ちんちん) illustrated by TOFU+BEAST Tai doesn’t look at himself in the mirror as he gets dressed. “Firefly flickers…” he murmurs to himself, seeing how the words feel as his mouth forms them. He lopes over to his laptop, pants half up his legs, shirt pulled over his head, but he hasn’t gotten […]
18
Dec
The Hard Place
by beautifulduckweed Ashtarag’s new assignment was curled face-down in a tense ball on the stone floor: a human man, naked and chained at wrist and ankles, with a faint rime of frost lying unbroken across his pale skin. They alternated between keeping the cells brutally cold and swelteringly hot, switching the temperature at unpredictable intervals, all […]
31
Oct
The Long Dark
by shukyou (主教) illustrated by 2013 I scowled at them like I could shoot lasers from my eyes — which I didn’t have the mods for, but they didn’t know that. “Both of you, shut the fuck up.” To their credit, they did. He kept glaring daggers at me, like he was promising that the […]
30
Oct
Consider the Ant
written and illustrated by Iron Eater After the war it felt like we’d carried on for a whole year of merriment, everyone all drunk on the prospect of returning to lives free from constantly pricking our ears for the whistle of bombs or the cry of warning sirens. During this time the medical corps informed […]
30
Oct
Rearranged
by juou no zan (女王のザン) Lord Clifton was perfectly polite and decorous during their wedding. He was a well-mannered gentleman at the banquet, attending to Karina’s drinks and serving her with impersonally impeccable manners. Karina was the one making mistakes and making the people around them laugh or smirk knowingly. They probably thought she was […]
30
Oct
Possessive Tendencies
by bajablastd Rex stared up at the blackened skeleton of the house and smacked their lips. She dragged her flashlight along the jagged roofline. The Mansion de Madonna de’Llova had gone up like a matchbox decades ago, when people still called this area the red light district instead of ‘that old dead neighborhood by the […]
30
Oct
Saint Michael the Righteous
by stills April 1954 Two bodies were a headache. Three were a pattern. What that pattern was, Albany Police Detective Robert Thompson couldn’t yet say, but he’d damn well keep looking until he found it. He crunched up the gravel drive of Mount Hawthorne School for Boys, snow flurries whipping down from the north, dusting […]
28
Aug
Anachronism
by Hiwaru Kibi (火悪 木美) “Babe,” I said, “you are going to lose us our deposit.” Mimi rolled her eyes as she peeked out around the corner. “Please. You think we’re introducing the ancient Athenians to the concept of nudity? Have you ever been to an art museum?” I was absolutely not going to admit […]
28
Aug
Corvus, Cancer, And Other Constellations
by Togi Kayako (土宜草子) Clara refreshed her email, twice, double-checked her internet connection, and even made sure it was actually a Thursday. But no, there was no update from CrowJewels in her inbox. In one last attempt to restore normality, Clara checked the fic itself, but there was no change to Jewels’ current WIP at […]
28
Aug
Good Chemistry
written by shukyou (主教) illustrated by 2013 “Finally,” said Principal Hulme, saying the best word that could be spoken at a teacher inservice day, “our new eleventh-grade Language Arts teacher, Mr. Zachary Hayda.” Zachary stood and gave a shy little wave, then walked over to stand beside the three other new members of the Cooper […]
28
Aug
Exciting New Levels of Heresy
written and illustrated by juou no zan (女王のザン) Nic was not especially sensitive to magic, but ze jolted awake at the crash of magic that reverberated through their room. Still confused from sleep, at first ze thought it had been thunder that woke zem up. But zeir boyfriend was already sitting upright, glaring into one corner […]
28
Aug
Men of Business
by stills July, 1844 Henry barely got his hands up in time to stop his nose slamming into the grimy, soot-streaked stones of the alley wall. The man behind him had a firm grip on the back of his jacket, threatening the seams if Henry struggled. His bulk was warm in the cool night air, […]
26
Jun
He is a Mighty and Strong Duke, and appeareth like a Strong Man with the tail of a Serpent
by Hiwaru Kibi (火悪 木美) illustrated by The Winter Cynic As he opened his eyes, John felt the serpent’s tail already coiled around his throat. Something had gone terribly wrong. He had gone to sleep in his own bed, alone, as was his lifelong habit; he’d fallen asleep easily enough and dreamed of nothing in […]
