by Etienne Telling For the first time in six months, Fenglin and Haoyun are in the same place for more than twenty-four hours. More than just being in the same fucking place, they have no professional obligations. Their phones are off, tucked away in Fenglin’s living room, out of sight and out of mind. No […]
Category Archives: Text
19
Dec
No Soap Radio
by Togi Kayako (土宜草子) illustrated by RunnyCrusty Elia ducked out of one narrow alley and wove through the busy pedestrian street toward the next alley on their usual scrap-hunting route. The early evening crowd had a mix of everyone, from older corporates off early and looking to slum it for dinner to the enterprising local […]
19
Dec
Frigid
by spitkitten illustrated by Tamago “I was attempting,” Annabel said, “in my usual clumsy fashion, to congratulate you.” Sophy stared. The blue flames from the dish of brandy on the table were beginning to wane now; in their dying light, Bel’s eyes looked all pupil — the soft, involving black of unburnt coal, of heaped-up […]
19
Dec
The Heart’s Own Cementation
by Iron Eater By the time the golden light of the newest spring sunrise fell across Riaag’s broad back he’d been up for quite a while; waking up before dawn was no great feat during the dark half of the year, especially not for a man as busy as he was, but prepping the stronghold’s […]
19
Dec
C7
by Oh Kashi (王菓子) illustrated by Riso I “We’re getting the band back together,” were the first words in Felix’s ear when he blearily picked up his buzzing phone. Who called without texting on a Sunday morning? Who called without texting period, in this, the year of our Lord— They didn’t have a band. They’d […]
19
Dec
The Killing Type
by juou no zan (女王のザン) Bastiaan was in his office, trying to figure out what the hell he was going to do with an office, when the light in the office shifted. Bastiaan looked up at the doorway to see a man in it. The man had managed not to make any noise and sneak […]
19
Dec
soulmates are stupid i love you on purpose
by shukyou (主教) illustrated by melanofly The feeling of recognition was immediate: cold and bitter, like breaking open a bottle of perfume last worn by a loved one now many years dead. Bailey — because that’s what his name was this time around, which made it as good of a name as any — […]
24
Oct
Prodigals
by Shirozubon Saruko (城図凡然る子) illustrated by 2013 “Bathal vel Vathat super Abrac ruens,” Ben finished, louder, with all the command he could muster. Nervous sweat prickled down his brow, getting into his eyes. “Absor veniens super Aberer.“ Then it was done. And after that… He wouldn’t say appeared, exactly. The chair he’d put in the […]
24
Oct
Highway Hypnosis
by murasaki Bored and confined in the gray-green slog of a Midwestern highway, Paul decided to think about dicks. He’d given up on his podcast when the rain started flinging itself at his windshield with a pattering, thunderous scream. There was no actual thunder or lightning. It was just a good hard afternoon rainstorm, […]
24
Oct
Second Coming
by spitkitten “Crikey,” Chrissy Peveril said, barefoot and slightly breathless from hauling the boat up onto the sand. “Not exactly the Riviera, what? No wonder nobody lives here.” Leo had never been anywhere near the Riviera, but he couldn’t imagine it looked much like this. Liverston Island: a lumped mass of grey sand and bare […]
24
Oct
Jeremy comes to the end of the road
by Hyakunichisou 13 (百日草 十三) Being a zombie didn’t hurt as much as Jeremy had expected it would. He was pretty sure getting bitten had, though even that was drowned in the memory of scalding fear and searing panic and the sight of a couple of people he barely knew going down under a wave […]
24
Oct
Certain Fathoms In The Earth
by Shiawasena Ryokō-sha In the woods, in the roots, in the bones of the earth, there is a cave, and in that cave rots the dreams of the whole wide world; and at the bottom, amongst the jagged, ever-growing teeth of stone, where living mortal should fear to go, I dwell. That is the […]
24
Oct
Chiaroscuro
by Nori Kanfuyu (法 寒冬) illustrated by Tamago Sébastien’s body was lying on the floor directly in front of the fire grate. I finished drying my hands while looking down at it. The flickering flames changed the shape of his face over and over, each dying light making him a different man. I put my […]
24
Oct
Yours Until My Heart Dies
by Togi Kayako (土宜草子) Honey-gold light brighter than flame dazzled Aevan’s eyes as he walked through Marya’s portal. He stepped forward off of the stone of her workroom and staggered as his boot sank calf-deep in snow. A sharp wind snapped his heavy brown braid out to one side. Rook’s amulet rested warm at the […]
24
Oct
Aperitif
by Iron Eater In the end everything always came back around to Reggie, no matter how much energy Les poured into the project, and it was coloring their work in ways Les hadn’t anticipated. Les’s morning routine involved sitting himself down at the kitchen table with his laptop to see what all the little people […]
