Flowing thoughts : you knew I missed you Bombay, didn’t you? (part II)
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But It has been a month now, since life seems to be on pause. Days and week go on, and we have lost the sense of time. From laziness to anger, frustration and solitude, it has been a month now, since we all are stuck, encaged like birds. Encaged at home, in a room, in some thoughts and in our minds. We all are sitting calm like bombs, patiently waiting to taste life again. A month now, we are asked to stay away from each other, for the sake of the humanity. I feel split between my feelings. Sometimes I want to be left alone, sometimes I crave for human interaction. I feel caught by some nostalgia and reverie.
We all, here, care and worry for our loved ones. We pour out our hearts, sometimes. We make plans for the moment our wings won’t be clipped anymore. When we would enjoy the tiniest things we never thought we would miss. We do realise that we took so many things for granted. Probably, we will apprieciate things differently, value people’s company more, probably.
We tend to learn again to enjoy the simpliest things we are allowed to and that surround us. Far from the hustle and bustle. Old books smells, that breeze in your hair while walking to the grocery, the music - the companion to your solitude, that has been a remedy to your eventual loneliness. Don’t you enjoy, through that window, seeing the sun going down letting the moon and stars looking upon us at night. Don’t you find some peace to your restlessness?
Flowing thoughts : you knew I missed you Bombay, didn’t you? (Part I)
I carried my stubborness and some wishes in my bag, on my way back to Bombay. Some places I wanted to go back to, memories I wanted to relive. Some faces I wanted to see again, some laughers I wanted to hear once more. Eager to explore around, curious about the new souls that will cross my path.
By the time I landed, I already had that feeling, as usual, the feeling of being Home. From shopping bindis and jhumke, to the walks and sunsets at Juhu, the conversations with the aunties and the drives with that one. The horns of the rikshaws in the traffic jam, the smell of the food stalls, the carefree crowd and the kids playing in the streets. And with that smile, on my face, witnessing the scene. Nevertheless, you knew I missed you Bombay, didn’t you?
Sometimes, throughout some discussions, I get asked about it, unless at some point, it just crosses my mind. That notion so subjective, yet blurred and romanticized of relationships and love. And I wonder, what it actually is.
Has not it just been put in our minds, that one specific person is here, made for us, with whom we are meant to be. I have always felt, this perception beautifully comes from books and poems, movies we have been watching while growing up, idealizing people and relationships.
I’d like to believe so, but the raw reality just seems to be a perpetual accumulation of ephemeral circumstances. Since nothing last, and everything keep changing, for a better version of it, or not. People, feelings, situations.Yet, we live in a world, I feel, where patience has become a rare attribute, consistency and loyalty too. I see, people getting used to everything surrounding them easily. Or just being distracted.
I just see that commonly used notion of love, as a sort of thread that connects you to that soul you want to grow with during your journey. What I know, throughout the plenty discussions i had about it with diverse persons, it is a subjective notion that differs person to person anyway. Believing in one and only life partner, or just beautiful stories that build you as the person you are.
I remember, few days back, that smell of food hitting my sense, reminding me a specific restaurant we use to go with my mom back home. I then remembered, those other places we use to go with my friends, those moments. Then I felt missing all this, and again, remembered, that other feeling of emptiness that hunts me when I am in Paris. I have been thinking, since time is given to us, about it. How, back there, I will feel a hole again, the feeling of not belonging, of not being at the right place.
Thinking of what actually “Home” means. I heard sometimes, someone can provide you that feeling, just some place. Is it where you were born and live, where you have your routine. Is it where your loved ones are. I feel, home is here for me. It is familiar. Not being a total stranger to that land and these souls. My heart probably recognized it as Home even before having spent much time here. It is just where I feel whole, and complete. Home is just that.
Hey, lovelies. I know many of you follow me strictly for my writing, but I wanted to share some insight with what’s going on with me. More under the cut.
Nobody tells you that 90% of being a fic writer is telling yourself sternly that you CANNOT start a new wip until you finish one of the old ones, and then failing to write anything at all as your brain sulks like a toddler.
I promised to post a preview of Part 2 of The Sky Is Our Fortress for one of my Inksgiving rewards, so here it is!
Here’s a scene where we meet a few old friends of Darian’s. As for how long it will take us to reach this point, I can’t say exactly, but I can say that we are getting quite close to entering the last arc of Part 1 uwu
Since this is only a preview, everything in it is subject to change before it actually gets posted. Hope you enjoy~
TheBlue Sky stopped a few dozen meters above the ground and the man threw down a rope ladder. Darian shimmied up first, and Theo handed Zenith back his cape before following him up.
When Zenith disembarked, he held out a hand to help Theo over the railing. Theo climbed onto the deck just in time to see the man who’d greeted them lower into a bow to Darian.
“It’s been too long, my prince.”
Darian thumped the man on the shoulder. “Come off it, Amaro. This doesn’t suit you an ounce.”
The man straightened and grinned, teeth flashing white against his dark skin. He was tall and lean, with black curls peeking from beneath a colorful bandanna. “Just thought the occasion might warrant a touch of formality. Oh, if it isn’t Sir Zenith too. And this is?”
His dark eyes landed on Theo. Theo gulped and straightened, but before he could speak more people came crowding behind the man, putting up a clamor.
One person burst free of the crowd, rushing up to Darian and sweeping into an elaborate bow. Theo blinked, and blinked. If he wasn’t mistaken, this person looked like…a giant, man-sized chicken stuffed into heavy robes.
“My liege! It is so good to see you!” the chicken squawked in the voice of an officious old man. “When we heard the jellywhistle, we scarcely dared hope – but to see you again in the flesh, oh, the relief!”
“As always, I only seem to make you worry, Magistrate Guntar.” Darian inclined her head.
“Hardly, my liege – oh! Excuseme!” as someone shoved their way past him and flung their arms around Darian.
“Prince Darian! Prince Darian! It’s really you!” the person squealed, kicking their legs up and down.
“Of all the – !” Magistrate Guntar huffed indignantly, his feathers bristling. “Fia, how many times have I told you to show our liege the appropriate respect!”
“Sorry, sorry!” the person chirped as they let go of Darian. It might’ve been a trick of the light filtering through the medusid, but their skin appeared a dusty pale blue to Theo. Plus they were tiny, barely even clearing Darian’s shoulder, with huge, glistening black eyes and dragonfly wings frantically flapping behind their back.
“It’s no problem,” Darian said with a warm smile, patting the person’s head. Their hair was dark bluish-green and wavy, rather reminding Theo of seaweed. “Good to see you too, Fia.”
More people pushed forward. A huge woman with scarlet dreadlocks bobbed into a clumsy bow before slapping Darian on the back. Someone else ducked beneath her arm, as squat as she was tall, and whose skin was hard and green like jade. She politely curtsied Darian before bustling straight toward Zenith.
“Sir Zenith, are all your systems functioning properly?” she asked in a surprisingly high voice. Just like the rest of her, her hair seemed to be carved from jade, round like a mushroom cap and shading her eyes like a helmet.
“Everything is well. Thank you, Nevy,” Zenith said.
“Good to hear. All the same, I’d like to perform a checkup as soon as I can.” When Zenith nodded, Nevy turned toward Theo.
Even with her eyes hidden, Theo felt her attention sharpen like a dagger. The next thing he knew, she was squeezing his wrists with rock-hard hands and pelting him with questions.
“Are you a human? Oh yes, you can’t be anything else. My, what a strange color your hair is! If you wouldn’t mind, could you tell me everything you know about Earth technology? I hear you have devices called…pa-hones? Would you happen to have one on you?”
“Um, er, ah, uh,” was the best Theo could get out.
Suddenly Nevy’s crushing grip around his wrists vanished. Theo reeled, blinking at the sight of the huge dreadlocked woman dragging Nevy away by the back of herjacket.
“Seriously Nevs, have some tact,” the woman said, shaking her head. She grinned apologetically at Theo. “Sorry about that. Nevy loses all reason when it comes to gadgets. Anyway, I’m Kress, first mate of the Blue Sky. Nice to meetcha.”
“Y-yeah, same here,” Theo stammered. “I’m Theo Hua.”
“My wizard.” To Theo’s surprise, Zenith stepped up to his side. There was no mistaking the possessive pride in his voice.
Theo blushed. Kress grinned wider. “That so? Congratulations, Sir.”
“If you could spare a moment, would you please allow me to examine your pa-hone?” Nevy piped up, though she made no effort at escaping Kress’ grip.
Theo was spared from answering when Darian stepped forward and clapped her hands. Just like that, the bubbling chatter trickled away and all eyes turned toward her. Seeing her like this, proud and confident on the deck of the Blue Sky, Theo thought she’d never looked more in her element.
“Now that we’re all here,” she said, “it looks like some introductions are in order. Everyone, this is the crew of my skycraft, the Blue Sky. And these are the allies I’ve foundon Earth.”
“I’m Amaro.” The tall man with the bandanna stepped forward, flashing a salute. “Captain of this here rig. Welcome aboard, everyone.”
Kress came up by his side, arms behind her head. He was tall, but she outstripped him by at least two heads. “Kress, first mate and weapons master.”
“Nevy, mechanic.” Nevy looked like she was about to say more, but Kress slapped a hand over her mouth.
While Nevy squirmed, the tiny youth darted forward, flapping the ends of their large poncho. “I’m Fia Mare. I’m the ship’s boy, I guess, except I’m not a boy. Not a girl either. Just Fia! Hope we’ll all be friends!”
And here Theo thought he’d never meet anyone more energetic than Sam.
“Welcome, all.” The huge chicken bowed again. “You may address me as Magistrate Guntar, Prince Darian’s first minister.”
Her first minister was a chicken. Well…probably a were-chicken? At any rate, Theo shouldn’t judge.
“How wonderful to meet you all.” Meg took charge on their side, bold as ever. “I’m Meg Ruby.”
Introductions passed around the group. Ryan puffed out his chest as he said his name, but visibly deflated when nobody showed any sign of recognizing it. To Theo’s surprise, Sam didn’t bounce around delivering an introduction to put Fia’s to shame; instead, she practically mumbled her name.
Sam had seemed pretty down these past few days. Guilt squirmed in Theo’s stomach. Well, of course; as exciting as she might have found this at one point, she’d never asked to be here. Theo’s selfishness had dragged her into it.
Soon,he promised. Soon she’d get to go home.
Ryllis was the last to introduce herself, just grunting her name. “Is that everyone?” Darian said, glancing around. “Oh, hold on.” She craned her neck back. “That would be our symbiont, Eulyn.”
Who? Theo followed her gaze up to the center of the medusid’s bell. While the thicker, sturdier tentacles on the outside of the medusid held up the craft, the thinner tentacles were folded up beneath the bell. And – Theo squinted – they seemed to be wrapped around something.
No…someone. A woman, it looked like, ghostly pale and her white hair descending in a curtain around her face.
“What the fuck is that?” Ryan blurted, tactless as ever.
Meg kneed him in the back, but aside from a twitch in his eyebrow Amaro didn’t look offended. “Like the prince said, that’s Eulyn. As the symbiont, she keeps our medusid nice and fed with her Levia. Without her, we wouldn’t be able to go anywhere.”
A faint smile crinkled his dark eyes, at once fond and a little sad. Theo wasn’t sure, but he felt like that smile was as much for the medusid as for Eulyn.
Theo stared at Eulyn, who remained still and silent as if fast asleep. He couldn’t imagine choosing to live a life like that himself.
A scoff cut through the air. Theo lifted his head, alarmed, to see a slender figure leaning against the cabin near the back of the deck.
“Oh, right….” Amaro rubbed the back of his head. “I knew we were missing someone. There you are, Cay.”
The person tossed his head, slate-gray hair swirling around his face. “Welcome back, my liege,” he said, not even looking at Darian, before kicking open a hatch at his feet.
“Cayelci!” Guntar huffed. “Where do you think you’re going? Come back and properly introduce yourself!”
“Yeah, it’s awesome!” Fia cried, pumping their fists. “Look how many new friends we’ve got! The Infernal Legion won’t stand a chance now!”
Sam jerked and gasped softly at that. Darian exchanged an uncomfortable glance with Meg before turning back to Fia. “Well, we’re not all staying. Sam and Ryan need to go home, so first things first we’re taking them to the nearest portal town.”
Sam hung her head. Ryllis moved closer to her, but Cay let out a louder scoff.
“I told you all along we didn’t need wizards, my liege. What use are they if they’re just going to run back to Earth like cowards?”
Though his voice was quiet, the disdain in it sliced like a razor. Then he whirled around, white robes flapping, and disappeared through the hatch.
“Hey! HEY!” Ryan yelled, lunging forward. “Whatwas that? Say that to my face, you – ”
While he raged, Theo turned toward Sam. Should he say something, try to comfort her?
He stepped forward, but before he could speak, Amaro let out a noisy sigh and rubbed the back of his head again. “Sorry about that…that’s just…kind of the way he is. So yeah. That’s Cay, our medic and cook.”
“Never mind him,” Darian said briskly. “Now that we’re all here, we’ve got business to attend to.”
“Yeah, yeah!” Fia jumped up and down. “Prince Darian, you gotta tell us everything you did on Earth!”
Nevy perked up at that. “Oh, yes! I want to know all about pa-hones! And is it true Earth skycraft are called era-plains?”
Well, so far Theo didn’t quite know what to think about the Blue Sky crew, but one thing was clear. There’d never be a boring moment with this bunch.
In the land of Senero, all magic users are energos or ministra, dominant or submissive. Kestrel Knight might seem like the perfect energos, but he has a deadly secret: he can perform powerful magic without a bonded partner. When his mother’s death summons him to the royal court, he must work harder than ever to keep his secret safe in this den of scheming nobles.
Yet he can’t help but find himself drawn to Aramy Basquiale, the Prince’s Consort. With a force of will belying his delicate appearance, Aramy is unlike any ministra Kestrel has ever met. And he may well be hiding secrets just as dangerous as Kestrel’s. As Kestrel grows closer to Aramy, he faces a difficult choice: can he truly trust the mysterious ministra, or is he playing right into the hands of the craftiest schemer of them all?
Warnings: Violence, character death, explicit sexual content (including depictions of assault), infidelity, abusive relationships, BDSM themes, court politics with all the accompanying nasty intrigue, and morally ambiguous protagonists who harm and manipulate each other as well as other characters. Explicit chapters will always be rated mature and list specific warnings at the start.
I still can’t quite believe this is happening, after all these years slaving away at editing/revising. I really couldn’t have done it without the support of all the original readers on Fictionpress, who gave me faith and encouraged me to finish the first draft all those years ago. Special thanks to @lachiffon for drawing this amazing cover!
Please do take a look at Our Secret Storm if you’re interested, and it’d mean the world to me if you decided to like, comment, and/or subscribe. I’m looking forward on setting off on this journey with all of you. ^w^
Consider this a little preview of the beautiful cover for Our Secret Storm that@lachiffon drew for me. And yes, this means the actual book is going to come very, very soon!
Our Secret Storm is the revised version of the story originally titled “Alone, Together” on Fictionpress. I’ve been editing it on and off for the past few years and now I’m finally ready to share it. While I originally said that I was going to publish it as a stand-alone novel, I’ve ultimately decided that I feel more comfortable serializing my writing. Therefore, I’m going to be posting Our Secret Storm chapter-by-chapter on Tapas.
Furthermore, because the original story was extremely long, I’m going to split it into two parts. Once I’m finished serializing the first part, I do intend to offer it for purchase in ebook form. The ebook will have extra short stories and stuff, but the free-to-read Tapas version will always stay up.
For long-time fans, I hope no one minds if it’ll take a little while longer to see the story in book form. I’ve made a lot of changes, so the new version on Tapas should have plenty of fresh surprises for you. This also means I’ll be taking down “Alone, Together” on Fictionpress, along with the sequel “Curseborn.” I know this might be a bit of a blow to people who’ve enjoyed those stories on that site, but I’m committed to moving my writing presence to Tapas and I promise that all my Magus Verse stories will eventually show up there, and in much better-written, higher-quality form.
For now, Our Secret Storm - Part 1: Alone will be going live on July 17, and I’m aiming on updating it weekly. I’m really looking forward to sharing Kestrel’s and Aramy’s new journey with everyone, and I hope you’ll all come along for the ride!
As 2019 draws to a close, I’m finally finishing up my edits of Our Secret Storm (formerly Alone, Together). I can’t believe how long I’ve been fussing away at this, ever since the end of 2017 even. Damn, pretty soon it’ll be five years since I first started writing this story, that’s insane.
I guess I’ll blame lack of writing inspiration for how slowly things have been going, as well as constantly getting distracted by shiny!new! ideas. But bit by bit, piece by piece, I’ve been making my way through this huge, unwieldy manuscript, and now it’s…well, it’s still huge, but I hope it’s at least a little less unwieldy. I’ve grown a lot as a writer these past five years; the edits range from tightening the prose to creating new material wholecloth (mainly the “Kestrel traveling alone” part, that has basically been completely rewritten. I wasn’t happy with it in the first place). To tell the truth I’m even a little embarrassed at the writing in the first version, but don’t worry, I’m not going to take it off the internet until I’ve gotten the published version 100% ready to go.
I still have a lot of work to do…need to reread and comb over the whole thing to make sure I didn’t miss anything, and probably get beta readers? Idk how and where though, but I am committed to getting Our Secret Storm fully completed and out for sale in 2020. You could say it’s my new year’s resolution.
In the meantime, I’ve posted a few new Magus Verse stories on my AO3, check ‘em out! Well, one of them I did post here a long time ago, but I’ve cleaned it up some.
Idk if anyone is reading this, but if you are, thanks for all your support over the years, and your patience with my snail-like slowness and erratic schedules (or lack thereof). It’s in large part because of the reader response that I’ve stuck with the Magus Verse for so long; knowing that other people are just as passionate and excited about this world and these characters as I am is the best motivation in the world. Now it’s expanded beyond just one story into a whole universe and I’m already planning several future stories and oh yeah, I can thank the Magus Verse for throwing me deep into the pit of the BJD hobby too.
I made this big ol post and I still haven’t actually edited the final chapter yet, lol. But I will definitely get it done before the new year. Now that I put it into writing I can’t back down. :P
Note: I’ve been thinking of ways to incorporate some of these tropes and ideas into my current ocs or new/future ocs. Here’s just a random post about some things I personally like.~
-I love me some male characters, who are just on this ride through dangerous missions with their significant other and they just say things like, “If you’re going, I’m going too!” or “You didn’t think I’d let you go alone, did you?”
-I want there to be this kind of pairing where two characters start as friends but then the pining happens and due to circumstances neither can control, one of the characters plays the “villain” in order to save their significant other. THEN, what would happen is this endless inner turmoil from the other character who is torn between these two thoughts: “Was everything a lie?” and “No. I’m going to find them and face them head on! They wouldn’t have done this without some sort of reason.” Love me some misunderstanding tropes. It’s just messy.~
-Give me a baddie, who starts off as a baddie and then decides to change their villainous views after meeting someone who managed to crawl inside their heart. I want there to be that feeling where he starts to say things like “the things I do for you” or “this woman will be the end of me.”
-OH two characters who hate each others guts, but it slowly turns from hate to play flirtation to actual love. I want these two characters to just have this desire to hurt the other and say snarky things until they are forced to be around each other most of the time or their paths cross a lot. This is just based on this image of the female character turning to her significant other and saying things like, “you really want a taste of knife, pretty boy?” and all this guy can and do is just turn his cheek with a smirk and say, “Go head. I’ll give you the first shot.”
-Best friends who wind up as lovers
-One is more playful while the other is more serious
-One who tends to get injured a lot while on adventures and the other is left to bandage them up. Plays on the whole “I told you to be careful!” line.
-”It will always be them. No matter if its in this world or the next. Even if I were to be reborn a thousand times, my heart will still lead me to you” T_T
