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nerdcactus.bsky.social
C Alexandra
@nerdcactus.bsky.social
510 followers 310 following 1.1K posts
I'm a #writer of the three Gs: gods, ghosts, and (usually magical) girls.

She/Her. Neurodivergent. Ace. Unapologetically leftist. I even write with my left hand.

Say nice things about Detroit!

#writingcommunity #amwriting #writesky
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nerdcactus.bsky.social
C Alexandra @nerdcactus.bsky.social · Oct 25
My saga on Eleanor Roosevelt continues in part 3: The White House years.

John FINALLY gets to talk Mrs Nesbitt and her legendarily awful food! We also discuss Eleanor's love interest, Lorena Hickok. And that pesky world war. #history #podcast #womenshistory

www.buzzsprout.com/1855074/epis...
Eleanor Roosevelt pt 3: "But For The Honor Of Our Country." - Mythsogyny
Continuing the epic journey into the life of the finest first lady we've ever had, C takes us through Eleanor's White House years. Detailing her tumultuous relationship with Lorena "Hick" Hickok, Mrs....
www.buzzsprout.com
nerdcactus.bsky.social
25. I'm going with Mistborn (first trilogy) for this one. Kelsier is my eternal love. And if Brando Sando makes me choose between Kelsier and Kaladin at any point, I will be very, very unhappy. #Bookvember #writingcommunity #writesky
woodenvelt.bsky.social Samantha Breaux @woodenvelt.bsky.social · 19h
Welcome to #Bookvember Day 25!

Follow the directions on the prompt card and discuss the tropes we love and hate.

#BookSky #WriteSky #Books #Authors #WritingCommunity
Bookvember, a book share prompt game for writers and readers by @woodenvelt.bsky.social Day 25: Share a book you love with a mentor character. What is it about this mentor that appeals to you? #Bookvember. Use alt text for images. Have fun and interact with others! Bookvember, a book share prompt game for writers and readers by @woodenvelt.bsky.social
November 26, 2025 at 1:31 AM
nerdcactus.bsky.social
25. In the immediate, the wars between Kythe/Archyropol and the Sarqani have recently ended. Archyropol sued for peace, preferring to settle their dispute diplomatically, which Kythe viewed as a betrayal. They then sacked Archyropol in retribution. #NovemberWorldbuilders #writingcommunity #writesky
kiraofthewind.com Kira of the Wind (Erika McCorkle) @kiraofthewind.com · 1d
#NovemberWorldbuilders Does your fictional world have any wars in its history that are now over? What was the conflict about? What were the repercussions of it?
#NovemberWorldbuilders prompt card Hosted by Kira of the Wind Week 4: HISTORY 25. A war that has ended The image in the background is a blurred picture of a foresty/rocky landscape with lightning and a mountain in the background
November 26, 2025 at 1:24 AM
nerdcactus.bsky.social
24. I do listen to music while I write! But it absolutely cannot have words. I start typing the words to the song instead of what I want to type and it's a pain. I have finally come around to those lofi writing stream things on the internet, but I prefer classical. #FantasyIndiesNovember #writesky
Prompts for Fantasy Indies November writing game. Day 24 is Do you listen to music while you write?
November 24, 2025 at 9:58 PM
nerdcactus.bsky.social
24. Another answer brought to you by my basic-ocity, but I have to choose either Macbeth or Othello. I love a fallen hero when I get to see it performed live in front of me, and Shakespeare writes these falls so damn well! I adore Willie Shakes so much. #Bookvember #writingcommunity #writesky
woodenvelt.bsky.social Samantha Breaux @woodenvelt.bsky.social · 2d
Welcome to #Bookvember Day 24!

Follow the directions on the prompt card and discuss the tropes we love and hate.

#BookSky #WriteSky #Books #Authors #WritingCommunity
Bookvember, a book share prompt game for writers and readers by @woodenvelt.bsky.social Day 24: Share the book with your favorite heel turn. Either a good character turning bad, or a bad character turning good. #Bookvember. Use alt text for images. Have fun and interact with others!
November 24, 2025 at 9:55 PM
nerdcactus.bsky.social
24. Rei is, rather unfortunately, the descendant of precisely no one. She doesn't even know who her parents are because they sold her to the Morsidae as an infant. But the mystery behind what happened at Ithae is directly tied to her entire life. #NovemberWorldbuilders #writingcommunity #writesky
kiraofthewind.com Kira of the Wind (Erika McCorkle) @kiraofthewind.com · 2d
#NovemberWorldbuilders Let's talk about how the world's history directly impacts your main character (or some other important character in the world you're developing). Do they have an important ancestor? Was there a specific event, say a war or diaspora, that impacted their current life?
#NovemberWorldbuilders prompt card Hosted by Kira of the Wind Week 4: HISTORY 24. An event/ancestor directly connected to your MC or another important character The image in the background is a blurred picture of a foresty/rocky landscape with lightning and a mountain in the background
November 24, 2025 at 9:51 PM
nerdcactus.bsky.social
23. This will probably be an odd one, but Emma by Jane Austen. Obviously, Austen prefers free indirect narration, but Emma's biases and self-deception color the entire text. She isn't lying or hiding anything from the reader, but our views are skewed by hers. #Bookvember #writingcommunity #writesky
woodenvelt.bsky.social Samantha Breaux @woodenvelt.bsky.social · 3d
Welcome to #Bookvember Day 23!

Follow the directions on the prompt card and discuss the tropes we love and hate.

#BookSky #WriteSky #Books #Authors #WritingCommunity
Bookvember, a book share prompt game for writers and readers by @woodenvelt.bsky.social Day 23: Share the book with your favorite unreliable narrator. How did the narrator subvert your expectations? #Bookvember. Use alt text for images. Have fun and interact with others!
November 23, 2025 at 8:37 PM
nerdcactus.bsky.social
23. I actually have one! And he's relevant to the WIP! Millennia before the events of the story, the ruler of Ithae, a Philonaxi named Androasus with immense world-bending magic, rewrote reality to save his city. What he did and whether he succeeded are lost to time. #NovemberWorldbuilders #writesky
kiraofthewind.com Kira of the Wind (Erika McCorkle) @kiraofthewind.com · 3d
We're talking about our fictional world's history this week, #NovemberWorldbuilders. Tell me about a ruler or leader who made an impact in your world. How are they remembered by those living in the future?
#NovemberWorldbuilders prompt card Hosted by Kira of the Wind Week 4: HISTORY 23. Long-dead rulers/leaders The image in the background is a blurred picture of a foresty/rocky landscape with lightning and a mountain in the background
November 23, 2025 at 8:31 PM
Reposted by C Alexandra
charliedeltawrites.bsky.social
November 22nd – crystal

A brief visit today with someone who is very angry about what Fox and Av’ry did to their previous body.

#WIPSnips #WriteSky #WritingCommunity #WritingPrompts
A new body would not rival his previous form, he had grown rather attached to that one, but it would be infinitely better than his current prison. This weak cage of flesh was wholly unworthy of him. It was only temporary, Redacted reminded himself. The only thing that had changed was the timetable. He was no longer willing to be patient. No longer willing to humor his puppet. He wanted the gem, and he wanted it now. He could stand this only so long. Holding up a soft, pink hand, he watched as ice crystals formed on the surface, steam rising from the freezing flesh. He chilled the hand until the pain was nearly unbearable, any longer and he knew he would lose the limb, then he allowed it to warm again. He flexed his fingers and the thin layer of ice on the surface cracked and fell away. Redacted took a deep breath and calmed himself. As good as it felt to punish this body, it wouldn’t do to damage it, not while he was trapped inside. Later. Until then, there were plenty of human bodies that he wasn’t using. Plenty of suffering to spread around.
November 22, 2025 at 8:37 AM
Reposted by C Alexandra
jangoeswriting.bsky.social
I thought I wouldn’t have this … I was happily wrong.☺️

From ‘Reign, Dear’.

#WiPSnips
“But … I j’s … wanted …” “It doesn’t matter what you ‘just wanted’. It’s an incredibly stupid thing to do.” Flirty rubbed her forehead. This wasn’t her area of expertise, but she wasn’t going to get a quiet life until all this nonsense was stopped. “No more trying to catch a Festive Boy. It’s dangerous. Do you understand?” “‘s.” “What was that?” She tilted her head, exaggerating trying to hear him, lips pursed, eyes wide. She probably looked as mad as they were all acting. “I said, do you understand?” “‘s … m’str’ss.” He nodded, still picking at his fingers while his wife had now brought a shiny crystal toward Flirty, a strange, pleading grin in her face. “Good. Well.” This had gone far better than she had expected. Brushing down her skirts, she gave an emphatic nod. “That’s alright then.”
November 22, 2025 at 9:11 AM
Reposted by C Alexandra
smoking-gnu.bsky.social
G'morning #WIPSnips. Crystal clarity is something that Jennifer appreciates in TLC, even if it's somewhat hard to achieve in this universe.
#WriteSky #WritingCommunity #WritingPrompts
“That is… strange.” Driona admits, now looking worried as she glances in my direction. “Indeed it is. I believe the prosecutor in question might be angling for personal gain in this instance,” Rondu comments, his words sounding annoyed over the connection. “Who is the prosecutor?” “Dame Voliannas.” For the first time since Driona stabbed me with that syringe, words flow over and around me that I cannot comprehend. I look to Driona and see her spitting phrases into the air, and I feel the base of my brain almost vibrate with how the translation nanites are struggling to comprehend what’s being said. Even though they don’t seem to be able to do much, it’s crystal clear to me that what Driona is attempting to curdle the air with are not nice words in any way, so that at least is universal enough to understand. “I take it this… Volianus isn’t such a good person?” I ask hesitantly. “Voliannas. And no, I would not say that. She is just very ambitious.”
November 22, 2025 at 9:14 AM
Reposted by C Alexandra
butterflyonawheel.bsky.social
#WIPSnips | crystal

From Chapter 10 of The Stardust of Failure:

Lindy lost her house over back taxes, and I let her bring her two kids to the White Garden and stay as its caretaker. She cleansed its bad vibes with white sage and singing crystal bowls, or something like that.
November 22, 2025 at 9:20 AM
Reposted by C Alexandra
pjccahill.bsky.social
#WIPSnips - Demon King Daughter - snip from a very important moment that establishes the relationship foundation for Hasava and Kyoka, separate from the Demon King.
#writesky #writingcommunity #fantasy #yafiction #demon #witch
-Print/eBook/KU: a.co/d/c4RtAOj
"...Hasava, did... you not want the throne for yourself?" Kyoka had to ask, to cut to the heart of her misunderstanding. Hasava's eyes blazed and trembled, and it was crystal clear to both Ounos how stung she was by the assumption. "I... I devoted myself to supporting your rule, my Lord. You were our savior, the greatest of us by orders of magnitude. I was honored to serve you, and I did my best to ensure the domain you gave me would never offend or trouble you. You... For all of my service, you thought I simply bided my time...?" Kyoka's eyes watered, and Masuyo watched silently now. Her daughter understood the problem, where the Demon King had utterly failed. "H-Hasava... I... I can only beg your forgiveness. I'd... I'd assumed you were like me..." #WIPSnips a Bluesky Writing Community Tag Hosted by rosie-j-potter.bsky.social November 17th - November 23rd November 17 - spend November 18 - retrograde November 19 - third November 20 - special November 21 - direction November 22 - crystal November 23 - global
November 22, 2025 at 10:05 AM
Reposted by C Alexandra
kiraofthewind.com
#WIPSnips #WritingCommunity #WriteSky

The alchemists collect a variety of substances which either have magical properties in this world or can be used some other way in their magical-chemistry.

It reminds Shallot of her mother's house, which she can't stand.
Every day, the underground alchemy lab grew closer to the sort of house Granny Tomamato kept. Dried herbs hung from the rafters; ingredients of bone and plant matter lined bookshelves; crystals and minerals of all shapes, colors, and luster sat in boxes against a wall. Nobody ever saw Cookie or Sage leave to collect ingredients—they could afford to hide themselves under a Shroud potion before leaving, then collect the ingredients to make a hundred more batches of Shroud while on their quest. They were on one such mission today, leaving the lab under Aubergine and Grilled’s custody. The only potions being brewed were on a low boil for the next twenty hours. The more it looked like Tomamato’s house, the less Shallot came down. If asked, she would claim that she wanted to leave the alchemists to their business. They were good and responsible people, and she didn’t have to supervise them. Aubergine suspected the truth to be that Shallot didn’t want to be in a space that reminded her so much of her mother’s house of superstitious nonsense. Even though this lab was full of useful materials and she was making good money off of it, the aesthetic was hauntingly similar. An insectoid girl with compound eyes, segmented limbs, and wings. She's holding a potion and dressed in a semi-steampunk style
November 22, 2025 at 10:32 AM
Reposted by C Alexandra
wreybies.bsky.social
The #WIPSnips word for November 22nd is "crystal" - From an already posted chapter of Timmor Lord of Bronzegate...

#WriteSky #WritingCommunity #WritingPrompts #Fanfic #GameofThrones #ASOIAF
Alden harrumphed, unwilling to concede, but some of the tightness eased from him. Timmor could see he was forming his words to come from a different angle, but a ripple of laughter broke across the ward. Tressa emerged from the scaffolds in breeches and one of Tomrick’s shirts, as was her wont, curls tumbling from a kerchief. In her arms wriggled a raven-haired boy with his father’s crystalline blue eyes, all dimples and glee. “Up! Up!” the child squealed, tiny fists reaching at once for Timmor. Even Alden’s stern face cracked under the assault. Timmor opened his arms, and the boy tumbled into them without hesitation, giggling as he was hoisted high. “By the Seven, Egan,” Timmor chuckled, holding the boy aloft. “You’ll be taller than me before the keep is done.”
November 22, 2025 at 11:28 AM
Reposted by C Alexandra
sayaashrah.bsky.social
#WIPSnips 22. "Crystal"

Ashrah is in yet *another* predicament! (But this time Sareena, Tomas, and Datusha are all there with her!)

#ChroniclesOfTheRealms #SayaAshrah #WriteSky #WritingCommunity #WritingPrompts
Hot breath and a cacophony of instruments and voices buffeted Ashrah in the face, but above the noise, she heard Sareena gasping. “Are you alright?” Smoke whispered. “Quiet,” was all the Nether-Touched answered. Hundreds more demons waited inside, mining stones with pickaxes or pointed arms, cleaning weapons from a small but varied arsenal, feeding Infernal beasts, cackling and squeaking among themselves, coming and going from tunnels that extended even deeper into the mountain. Stone cabins protruded from the walls, one atop the other, fire lanterns dangling from tiny windows. And at the centre of this first chamber, an enormous, blue crystal hovered above a depression ringed by cheering demons, emanating enough psychic energy to make Ashrah vertiginous. “Bloody Hells,” Datusha gasped. “That’s a feat of magical engineering, if I ever saw one!” “What is this?” Since she could not ask mentally, Ashrah did so aloud. The azahnu answered first. “You may have led armies to victory and slaughtered devils, elbhyr, but here, I am the master, and you will learn your place.”
November 22, 2025 at 11:32 AM
Reposted by C Alexandra
khonri.com
Lil bb Therion hours. 🥺

Perfectly normal science. Yup.

#WIPSnips
#WritingCommunity
“Get out.” The howl woke him from the dead of sleep. He'd never fallen asleep on the bench before. Never had the chance—these tests were minutes. He twisted in his seat to peer over the window ledge into the chamber. It was dark. No testing, no father—nothing—though the chamber looked undisturbed. The digital clock posted high on the wall in the chamber read out two in the morning. He’d been left out here for three hours? Therion scowled at the clock. Something about it was wrong. Colorful aberrations played within the oddly distorted red liquid crystal. When it flipped a minute past, the digit flipped between one and seven and two and five and three and four and one… His skin crawled but he steeled himself. It was a trick of light coming through the thick laboratory glass, nothing more. Father was one for harmless pranks, but never ones so creepy. He hopped off the bench to head towards his room but stopped at the sound of plastic tap under his shoe that echoed over the metal walls. He picked the card up and flipped it over. It was his father’s; the name Dr. Makariy Olyevich Romashenko was laser-etched next to what he knew as a decade-old headshot of the man who seemed to have barely aged a day since except for the small lines around his eyes. Perhaps there’d been a breakthrough. Therion could forgive that—maybe—and so he pocketed the keycard to give his father an earful in the morning.
November 22, 2025 at 12:18 PM
Reposted by C Alexandra
acturek.bsky.social
#WIPSnips #fantasy #WritingCommunity #WriteSky #crystal

Trouble with the Work; the try failed. This crystal is more difficult to awaken than they’d hoped.
POV: Drisal.

- Brother’s Keeper, book one of my fantasy WIP about two brothers bound by a misunderstood power.
"It either works or it doesn't. Let me see." He settled a tremorous hand on Drisal's shoulder, gently as a bird alighting. All that had come before remained, and the cauldron expanded. Drisal reeled in the stew. His heart raced, that heat trickled in. There was no help for his tears, no help for the livid anguish swirling around and filling him. This, this was real. This was right. And much sooner than it seemed, he felt that which gave meaning to it all, which was the meaning of it all. Love, such love amid the grief, entwining with the rest. The light in the room brightened; the CRYSTAL flashed with a promise of golden hues as Rushak finished his assessment. The illusion faded with his words the instant he took his hand away. "Let's get it done. It must be what it must be." Brother's Keeper A.C. Turek
November 22, 2025 at 12:51 PM
Reposted by C Alexandra
woodenvelt.bsky.social
Spencer and Wren summon a ghost.

From my romantasy wip about a priest of the dead and a thief with a heart of gold.

#WIPSnips #WriteSky #WritingPrompts #WritingCommunity #Wrencer
“Let’s get on with it then.” Spencer drained the remains of his port in one long gulp and set the glass on the table with a soft clink. “What’s the departed’s name?” “The Honorable Duke Shelton Bryce Cormier Var Dunnis, Shelly to his friends.” “Bit of a mouthful, isn’t it?” Spencer hoisted two wooden chairs lining the wall and carted them to the reading table. Wren picked up the ring and set it neatly on the black cloth-covered surface beside a folded scrap of paper. “Oh, you know how it is with nobles,” she smirked, taking a seat at the table. “The length of your name is directly proportional to your level of swank.” With a chuckle, Spencer took the chair opposite her and tugged at the corner of the silk square covering the summoning crystal. It slid free in a pale waterfall of fabric. Spreading his hands across the table, he cleared his throat and looked at Wren. She gave a nod, signaling that she was ready. Spencer laid his left hand over the ring and touched the base of the crystal with his right. Wren had seen mediums and card readers with polished crystal balls before, but Spencer used a solid chunk of six-sided quartz with spires jutting out of a rocky base. Darkening from clear at the tips to smokey gray near the bottom, the thing was nearly as large as her head. I’d need a mule and a pulley if I wanted to nick it.
November 22, 2025 at 1:19 PM
Reposted by C Alexandra
professoremily.bsky.social
#WIPSnips #writingcommunity #writers #writesky

Well I have been kinda taking a break from Mireia snips lately, but considering the main source of magic power in Atalantis is crystals... here we are 😅

Mireia's first time using a kaana crystal, from Book 1 of my #Atlantis trilogy.
Still holding the crystal aloft, Mireia closed her eyes, digging deep inside herself. She stoked the fire of her anger, of her determination to escape, of her will to see this room destroyed. She dove deep into that desire as though she were diving into the sea. She let go of herself and became a droplet in the ocean of her own focused will. In her mind she conjured a clear image of the wall before her dissolving—breaking apart into a million particles, which would break into a million more, which would shatter into nothing. The wall itself, she suddenly thought, was like the sea: not a single object, but a mass of infinitely small droplets that could be scattered and evaporated like water. That was all the whole world was, she saw. Every tree and rock and wave and building and person. Just uncountable clusters of droplets bumping against droplets, that could all be broken down and reshaped however she pleased. And beyond this world—beyond the walls of reality—there were other worlds, all made of droplets, all only droplets themselves in a vast sea of universes. And through it all, there was a current that flowed—a bloodstream. It was the same current now running between her body and that crystal. It was a snaking river that threaded the worlds together like beads on a string. It wove and sang and gusted through all the spaces between the droplets, and Mireia was the sail that could catch it. The energy was pulsing through her body, circulating through her veins. “There is no wall,” she declared, and her voice sounded low and strange, as if it belonged to someone else. “It’s only droplets. There is no wall! It’s only droplets!” A small light sparked to life inside the crystal.
November 22, 2025 at 1:59 PM
Reposted by C Alexandra
scarletvmitchell.bsky.social
#WIPSnips

Helena finally meets the legendary Lucifer, the charismatic and sparkling king of Hell. Seems a pretty cool dude, actually 🤷‍♀️ Kind of a sweetie, really.
Serasthial stepped aside to indicate her. The man and his smile turned to her eagerly, hands out. Upon seeing her unsmiling face, he toned down his gleam a fraction. “Helena,” he said, almost reverently, the ringleader in his voice dropping off suddenly to an earnest, intimate murmur. His eyes were startling; clear, crystalline irises, twinkling with bright, multicolored light, like faceted diamonds. His magnetism was almost a living thing with a mind of its own. He wanted her to like him, assumed they were friends already. She found herself wanting the same thing. “It is an honor to meet you. I welcome you *redacted*, child.” It felt rude not to take his offered hand, but she was tired and her social acuity had succumbed many hours ago. She hesitated and half-ducked behind *redacted* like a shy toddler. Lucifer took it in a stride, his expressive eyes showing a real understanding and sympathy for her squirrelly state of mind. “You and your companions are all a sight for sore eyes. I am sorry for the trouble you have encountered. Come in and rest for a little while. I am aching to hear about
November 22, 2025 at 2:14 PM
Reposted by C Alexandra
zprospero.bsky.social
#WIPSnips

You don't always need a crystal ball to be clairvoyant.

Virgil discusses the financial state of the gas station with the team.

#WriteSky #WritingCommunity #Writers #AmWriting
November 22, 2025 at 2:24 PM
Reposted by C Alexandra
adregem.bsky.social
Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you, the opening lines of the Moth King. #WIPSnips #WIP #AmWriting #WritingPrompts #Writers #Writing #WritingCommunity #WriteSky #Fantasy #FairyTale #Romantasy #AmQuerying
My nemesis stares at me, big-eyed, the tip of my blade shining in his pupils like arsenic crystals. He is slain. Actually, “nemesis” is a bit of a stretch. Scott is barely a mild irritant. And he’s wearing a fencing mask so it’s not like I can literally see my blade reflected in his eyes.
November 22, 2025 at 3:03 PM
Reposted by C Alexandra
m-walshwrites.com
#amwriting #WIPsnips #WritingCommunity #WriteSky
“That’s the Godswatch Tower,” Celeste said. “It still stands.” Opposite the black stone, about twenty yards past the clearing, was a massive tower. It stood alone in the field, like a lighthouse without an ocean, and appeared to be well over a hundred feet tall. The apex was a wide dome, making it resemble a giant scepter. The tower was old, but not ancient, and Krutch thought it peculiar any structure would be built in the open by itself. “There used to be a special crystal at the top that enabled the viewer to see vast distances,” the Dinah continued. “It was crafted to observe and study the stars. They built the tower out here where there would be no city light to interfere.” “I heard about that,” said Lamont. “Unfortunately, that’s also why the crystal got stolen.” “Yes,” she said. “I know there’s another tower closer to Ira, but that crystal’s not as strong as the original. It’s such a shame. Sometimes I don’t understand this country.” She sighed and shook her head. “Still … I always wanted see the top of the tower. Even without the crystal, I’m sure the view is gorgeous.”
November 22, 2025 at 6:20 PM
Reposted by C Alexandra
papadjinn.bsky.social
Crystal | While working the errands given by his Nannan, Vashad is approached by a friend~
#WIPSnips #WritingCommunity #WriteSky #bvm #bipoc #amwriting #Fantasy #SFF
Vashad, crouching near a riverbed, held his trowel near the compact soil that held a patch of riverspine. Carefully he loosened the stoney dirt around the roots, encouraging it to relinquish the green herbs to him. Humming to himself, he took his time dancing the hand shovel back and forth along the plants removing them one by one. Even when taking his time, it did not take long before he had the bundle cleaned of dirt and placed in his satchel. “Mhm...,” Vashad huffed out as he reviewed his list. Having checked off the riverspine with his writing coal, he realized he was about halfway through with his task. Raising a hand to shield his eyes, he took a peek at the position of the sun. “I’m moving far too quickly. Break time it is then.” Dusting off his hands against his thighs, he looked out over the creek. Underneath the surface of the crystal blue waters fish darted back in forth busily surviving within their aquatic civilization. They were no different from the people in his village, hurriedly moving between their shelters and their hunting grounds to meet their quotas. Eating and being eaten, keeping the balance of nature just as it was meant to be. Vashad did not envy them. Their destinies were set before they were ever hatched while he could swim against the currents at his leisure. “There you are Vash,” called a feminine voice from behind him, striking him from his thoughts. “What brings you out this way Woodli?” Vashad did not need to look back to confirm;he’d have recognized her voice anywhere. Rising to full height, he turned to her with a small smile, his way of showing that she was not unwelcome.
November 22, 2025 at 8:00 PM
nerdcactus.bsky.social
22. A scene from Archyropol, the First City, and Rei's wonder. #FantasyIndiesNovember #writingcommunity #writesky
Prompts for Fantasy Indies November writing game. Day 22 is Saturday Snippet. The scent of a thousand spices hit her as soon as she turned the corner. A thousand journeys from a thousand places, swimming in such garish profusion they stained the breeze. She breathed in, trying and failing to identify more than a tenth of their number, her tongue screaming in curiosity from every bud on its surface. How had she lived so long and known so little how the world could smell? And then there was the food. Roasting, spinning, dripping, hissing meats wove among a symphony of grumbling stomachs and chopping knives, the exchange of chinking coins and moans of satisfaction. Fire spat and crackled, sometimes blazing, a plume of orange flames licking the sky as if it, too, wanted to taste the spices above it. Hawkers screaming in sounds and cadences harsh and mellifluous, unknown and never-dreamed-of by her ears. Oh, and the breads! The warm, slightly sweet beguilement of freshly baked and baking loaves, disks, and hunks of wonder. She realized she'd never known the scent of truly good bread before. She wanted to run her hands through the rainbowed panoply of dyes and legumes and grains and herbs she could hardly identify, feeling them trickle through her fingers, burying her nose in the little mountains of temptation in her palms. She wanted to taste everything, to feel the sizzle of fat against her lips and swallow the sweet flesh of what she could only guess was fruit. What was that melon the color of the morning sun with skin hard and dimpled like pressed leather? And that--was that a nut--a vendor pried from between two halves of an oval shell? She could live here in this place, buried beneath the mounds of spice, and never think the world ugly again. "It seems your killer has a soft side."
November 22, 2025 at 5:23 PM