DREAMS of a CLOUD
Peruse the many random ramblings of a writer-in-training as I build stories and develop my craft.
27 April 2023
“I can’t tell you much. Ayami and I fled as soon as the screams started. There were oni–a lot, all different colors–and at least one monster. A massive beast the size of a wagon or bigger, with eight spidery legs and a bull’s head, and teeth as sharp as knives.”
“An ushi-oni,” Hanako whispered.
Mitsuo nodded. “It plowed through our homes like they were made of paper. I’m not sure what even you could do against that thing.”
26 April 2023
The lead cultist gathered their wits and shuffled toward the woman, head bowed. “My, my Lady! Long have we awaited your return!”
With narrowed eyes, the woman simply said, “Have you now?” With a motion so smooth Brinja almost missed it, she spun one of the axes from her belt into her hand. A moment later, the axe-head blazed with an infernal violet flame. “Then I’d better give you the reward you bastards deserve.”
22 April 2023
The father seemed a bit shaken, himself, but he managed a smile at Hanako. “I’m… really glad you’re on our side.” Then a thought struck him, and he frowned. “The other oni can’t do that, can they? Make themselves look human?”
21 April 2023
A handful of people Hanako passed smiled at her, but the vast majority either scowled or refused to meet her gaze. That was fine. Hanako was fine. She was used to it, after all. Right?
She approached the head chef, who gave her a disapproving look. “What do you want?”
Hanako forced a smile. “I’m looking for someone. A father, just came in yesterday. From Tsurui?”
20 April 2023
“And who would helm this coalition, then?” Roland demanded. “You? One of the other monarchs? Perhaps that princeling you dragged in out of the ocean? No we will not leave ourselves vulnerable to some arrogant bastard declaring themselves our king or queen.”
“And what will your people do then, when a real dragon appears? When some foreign king or queen arrives in a storm of scale and claw and fang? When the Black Conqueror herself lands on your shores? Who will defend you? The living statue of a dragon holed up under the city?”
19 April 2023
I look under each of the couches and pull all the cushions off, to make sure the key didn’t fall (or get stuffed) between them. I briefly consider cutting open the cushions, but I don’t have a knife, so that’d be difficult. All I’ve got are my keys, and, well, I don’t think it’s worth the effort.
18 April 2023
Then, from the back of the room, a female voice called out, “I, too, vouch for her.”
Arylwen’s blood froze, and she turned to see an all-too-familiar figure in deep black armor. [Agthere] still bore the wound in her chest where Charles had killed her a decade and a half earlier. If anything, she seemed to wear it with pride.
17 April 2023
For a long moment, Daleina didn’t reply. Finally, she said, “She’d better. Because if this doesn’t work, and you die or get hurt…” A feral gleam glinted in her eye, and she turned to leave. “I’ll stop holding back.”
14 April 2023
I was mostly just trying to get a sense for what the setting is, what kind of city it is, for Tirian and Gwen’s story. I haven’t fully decided yet, but even if I don’t use this visual for this story, it does seem like a cool aesthetic.
13 April 2023
Hanako knelt before the shrine and offered a prayer. “Please, let me protect them this time. Help me keep the town safe.”
When she stood, she noticed a miko she’d somehow missed on the way in standing a ways away. She was two to three inches taller than Hanako, and her warm brown hair was tied in a long braid down her back. Their eyes met, and the miko took a step toward Hanako. “Ah, pardon me. Is this your first time here? I don’t think I recognize you.”
“No, I’m new in town,” Hanako replied, with a shake of her head. She offered her hand. “My name’s Hanako.”
The miko clasped Hanako’s hand with both of hers. “Welcome! It’s a pleasure to meet you. You can call me Mikuzume.”
12 April 2023
But here, they were not content to keep to the shadows, to whisper into the ears of men. No, here, they stalked the realm in physical form., giant horned beings of ash and flame. Few knew they’d ever had a master, and none but them knew if they served another after his death, or if they worked towards their own inscrutable ends.
11 April 2023
“I’m afraid I’m all but married to my job; I’ve little time for such matters.” His face softens. “I do visit my sister and her two children when I can, however. A niece and a nephew. The older one is nearly twelve; the other just turned eight this past month.”
“And their father?”
Roland’s smile vanished. “A sailor. He died when the Pirate King targeted his ship some eighteen months ago.”
10 April 2023
Tara remembered the sick feeling in the pit of her stomach when she heard about the “clone regulation laws” the Galactic Federation mandated if humanity was to join. Ordinarily, they shouldn’t have been a big deal; enough people still had moral and ethical issues with the idea of human cloning, so it hadn’t become a thing.
The problem was, apparently none of the alien races in the Federation had a concept like twins. Which meant to them, twins were clones.
9 April 2023
“My lady, I do not think you understand. He is tainted; no matter how strong, it is still only a matter of time before he loses control and kills us all. He–”
“He. Is. My. Brother!”
8 April 2023
I’m in a room; everything is bright white. Not that there’s much there. Walls, a sofa…I do eventually spot a door off to the right.
Do I still remember who I am? Yes. It’s not amnesia, at least.
A voice blares from the loudspeaker hidden near the ceiling. “That’s not what it means to do a white room writing exercise, Cloud.”
6 April 2023
I realized I was trying to too much at once with this visit to New Chizu (I don’t know what they’re going to call it yet, but it’s all the Chizu refugees). Especially when the focus of this arc is on the attack form the yokai army in the area (still not sure if they attack the new town or the Chizu refugees). So, I tweaked the stuff I wrote in this post to make it a little more directed. I probably need to add back in a reference to the kitsune’s shrine, though, or remove Mikuzume and place her in the new village instead.
5 April 2023
“I’m guessing you didn’t have a lot of friends growing up, right? Spent most of your days around adults, all trying to teach you how to be a ‘proper’ lady?”
Bethany nodded. Moira continued, “It’s not so different for Arylwen. There’s not that many kids on pirate ships, and the small handful Arylwen did meet were all terrified of her, especially after hearing she’s a dragon.”
5 February 2023
Then her smile faded, and she looked down into her lap. “I guess not much about Charles has really changed, has it? He’s still a hero, still kind to everyone, and I… I’m just a silly girl with a silly crush.”
I frown and look up from my notebook. “It is not silly.”
Bethany looks up at me, eyes wide. I sigh. “Even if it doesn’t pan out. Even if you know he and Arylwen get together, and then you watch it happen. Those feelings helped you get here, today, no matter how timid you think you are.”
4 February 2023
“That’s part of what I’m afraid of. The fame, the recognition… Honestly, part of me loves all that. And I… I’m scared that means I’ll wind up like him.” Gwen drew her shoulders in closer and looked at the floor. “Sorry. I probably shouldn’t insult your husband right to your face, huh?”
Tavala chuckled and shook her head. “If anything, my status as his wife makes me all the more aware of his failings.” She looked off into the distance, pieces of old memories flickering to life in the back of her mind. “Besides, our marriage was one of political necessity. I doubt either of us felt we had much choice in the matter.”
4 April 2023
Chiaki’s gaze pierced into Hanako. “You’ll kill them, right? The shogun. His men.”
Hanako’s blood froze. She’d never considered it before. Take on the shogun himself? “I… I don’t know that I can.”
Chiaki blinked, then slowly turned back toward the wall. Before she closed off completely, though, Hanako added, “But I will do everything I can to stop him. These raids… the way he treats people… it’s not okay. ”
Chiaki turned back to face her. Hanako smiled awkwardly. “But… I definitely can’t do that alone. Will you help me?”