#vss365 "What #name are you using today?" "You make me sound like a spy." He harumphed at her as they waited in the reception area. "If it walks like a duck..." His eyebrow rose as he stared at her. "You have an alias, we're going in here get access to their computers and, well, look at your suit."

#vss365 "I'm a mouse not a #lion Thos. I can't go in there and be commanding. You should ask Rowan, she's much better at... you know." She gestured with her hand. "I do not." "Dealing with other humans,making them like her and not looking like a freak." Sighing, he shook his head. "You're no mouse."

#vss365 She held her breath, willing him to stand. Her hand hovered by the weapon: they wouldn't take him. At first there were only sparks: pure brilliant white flashes. Finally, he got to one knee, his power gathering round his hand. Wild #lightning flashed as he struck. Only then couldshe breathe.

#vss365 He stared at the plan. The intel had numbers and the sort of firepower they'd be facing. But still he hesitated. "What do you think?" She looked side to side before realising he was talking to her. "You're the master #tactician." "And yet I feel like I'm missing the trap. What do you see?"

#vss365 "Looks ominous." He sat down beside her with a sigh looking up at the red moon. "It's just a #lunar eclipse." She shrugged. "The light has gone through our atmosphere refracting it." "Somewhat takes the romance out of it." She flinched, turning to apologise but his playful smile stopped her.

#vss365 "Why is she staring at the wall?" "She does that. She's thinking about something and just stares, stops blinking. It's quite disconcerting." "She can still hear." She turned and glared. "I was just thinking if everyone is energy, what happens...after?" "She's asking if you're a #psychopomp "

#vss365 Lucian bowed and bid the lady goodbye, brushing a kiss against the back of her hand for good measure before he went to join his cousin. "Lady Denver? You are despicable you know that, don't you?"Miles grimaced. "Why thank you, if you're #fishing for a complement back I'm fresh out."

I’ve been writing a free serialised story with as part of an experiment. I have not planned a single thing, I just start writing and see where the episode takes me! I If you like fantasy fiction and fancy a tale of fallen angels, then dig in! lexikonical.substack.com/p/falling-sh... #fantasy #angels

#vss365 He was staring at her. He must have said something. She opened her mouth and hesitated. "Listening to the #wolves in your head again?" He moved to block her from view of the rest of the room. "I try not to, I just can't help thinking about what might..." "I know. Talk to me, not the fear."

#vss365 "That wasn't so bad." He sat beside her on the wall as she stared at him incredulously. "They accused me of #trickery and think I'm the devil." She slumped forwards into her hands. "One person said that. Most comments were positive. But you never hear those ones do you?"

I have a short eligible in the short story category :) The Department of Innovation that featured in the science fiction edition of Hooded by Crowvus Press. @crowvuslit.bsky.social Please do give it a look!

#vss365 "It'll have to wait until tomorrow." All of them started complaining, but none could be heard. "Stop." He held up his hands. Realisation dawned on Kae's face. "Is the #investiture tonight." "The what now?" "His grandmother becomes leader of the council." "So why does he not look happy..?"

#vss365 "Doctor Smith, whay are you doing with that #hammer?" "Huh." She put the goggles on and looked at him. "I thought you only titled me when you were annoyed with me. Apparently fear has the same reaction." She grinned and hefted it high. "Trust me." He could have sworn she winked at him.

#vss365 She hadn't even finished the #word but he hadn't needed her to. She'd caught herself as unawares as him. But now he just looked at her, knowing he should say it back,that he felt the same. But that wasn't what he said. He saw her heart break in realtime, wondering if he'd broken his own too.

He handed her a stack of pages, each one a #letter, folded and addressed to her. His face was stone as he warred with the emotion trying to drown him. "Every day I couldn't speak to you was torture." He swallowed. "So I wrote those. Read them, then see if you still think I didn't miss you." #vss365

#vss365 He stepped up beside her and leaned against the railing. "That's the funny thing about treading #water isn't it?" He nodded over to a swan gliding downstream. "No one sees how much effort it takes and how hard you're fighting to stay above the surface."

#vss365 "Come on, let's get coffee." He grabbed her jacket and thrust it towards her. She shrunk backwards as if it were a snake about to strike. "If I leave you here, you'll #sink deeper into that cave you're hiding in. You need to come out into the world again. I'll be with you, you'll be safe."

#vss365 "Is it true, you used to #sing?" He couldn't keep the skepticism out of his voice. She looked up in surprise. "A lifetime ago." "What stopped you?" "I was trying to be someone else, someone brave and colourful." She shrugged. "And then I was reminded that isn't who I am."

#vss365 "Where are you going?" Rowan looked nervous as she watched Elena fill the bag. "You can't #bank on anyone coming to help." She put a bottle of water and a few . "There are no heroes, not anymorelarger items frm her desk in the bag. "They only people going to stand up, are us."

#vss365 Powerless. Some shout in to the void and million ears take as gospel, yet others are silenced by the clamour around them. Powerless they feel as words are hurled as weapons and actions have no thought. The pen was supposed to be mightier than the sword but more than #ink is spilled.

#vss365 "Think of us as the undercover #arm of Avalon." The man smiled. he looked far too jovial to be a spymaster yet somehow Elena knew it wasn't an act. "Why does Captin Braythe dislike you and the Nights so much?" "You've met him right?" Elena's mouth twitched. "Fair point."

#vss365 The room was too dark, but she was frozen by uselessness. All the information sat in front of her but it meant nothing. Fear started to rise in her gut. The door opened a crack. "You need a #hand?" Tears started falling down her face as she looked up. His arms were round her in an instant.

#vss365 She paused on the other side of the portal. It was too much to take in all at once. The air was almost abuzz with static but there was a calmness in the #sand covered courtyard. "Dr Smith?" He was staring at her looking perplexed. "Sorry." Her head kept swivelling. He just covered his smirk.

Drawin' a little rebel space base 😁 any other ideas for sci-fi maps? #ttrpg #rpgmaps

#vss365 The phone lit up again. It looked angrier this time, as if it knew she was ignoring the #ring. "How many times now?" He asked as the screen went dark. She turned it over. "Don't know, don't care." "You sure about this?" "I should have done it years ago. I always their daughter in DNA only."

#vss365 "Mother, you are not setting me up with some random #man just the aesthetics are better for Poppy's party." "It's about time you stopped messing around and settled down. Elena closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "Messing around?" "Your career won't look after you or be your family."

#vss365 "You okay?" "Fine." The answer was immediate. "Really?" He wandered over to her desk and casually picked up the holepunch. "Yep." "Rowan said your meeting didn't go well." He squeezed the punch absently, making it squeak. "Apparently I have an #exalted sense of importance in the department."

#vss365 She held the dagger up to the light. She had no expertise but she could see the workmanship was incredible. The flecks in the blade were intentional imperfections that helped #conduct magic. It gave her ideas. Her work wouldn't be as pretty, but even he might be impressed when she was done.

#vss365 "What's the deal with your family?" She raised an eyebrow in surprise. "Might as well talk about something while we wait." "And you go straight for that?" She snorted. "Frown made me think you needed to talk about it." "They don't like the way I #conduct my life." "Which bit?" "Any of it."

#vss365 He watched her read through the numbers. She looked pensive, chewing her bottom lip. He was so used to her lighting up at a problem, bouncing around like a #sprite until she'd solved it; her lack of spark was unnerving. But what do you do to when your problem solver was who needed fixing?

#vss365 Thos appeared in the doorway and frowned. Rowan had to stiffle a laugh; his expression was almost comical as his brow knitted."Is there a problem?" "I'm looking for Dr Smith." He scoured the room in case she was hiding."I'm beginning to think she's #illusive." "Oh you couldn't make her up."

I've drawn a space station! It's called The Eye and it'll feature in Talamander gamebook magazine, currently funding on Kickstarter... #gamebook #kickstarter

#vss365 "I'm not done yet, I need a few hours." "This is important..." Rowan began. "It always bloody is." Elle slammed her hand on the desk. "Woah, what did I do?" She braced herself but when Elle looked up she looked near broken. "You all think my life #revolves around you... 1/2

#fantasy #writers and #rpg makers! Anyone need a #map? Ways Unseen has a shiny new website to find out all about his work and he's open for commissions! #art #drawing

I've been working hard on a new Ways Unseen website - link in bio and in a comment down below! There's still things I want to tweak and bits I want to add, but it's now in a place where I finally feel proud of it. Let me know what you think! (Or fill in the form if you want me to draw you a map!)

Free stories! Roll up, roll up! Want a five minute, standalone read no strings! Then have I got the tale for you. It’s got drama, it’s got ill advised decisions, oh and a fight for her immortal soul... #fantasy #fiction #writingcommunity #demons #angels open.substack.com/pub/lexikoni...

#vss365 "You #fascinate me. How your brain works, your sense of wonder." Elena smiled in response but she didn't feel it. Thos had said something similar, but more like perplexed him. Yet somehow his comments felt warmer. Something in Chris' eyes put her on edge, and she suddenly felt very isolated.

#vss365 "You Albion lot always go on about Shakespeare. I mean what's so special about Romeo and Juliet." Elena shrugged, "Never liked it. I always preferred the #tempest." "Oh yeah?" "Yeah,guess I always had a thing men wielding magic." He smirked, allowing his fingers to crackle,"Really Dr Smith."

#vss365 She stood in front of the room. Everyone waited, not all patiently. He could hear the murmurs and mutterings. She cleared her throat and stared at her notes as he saw her #waver. He willed her to look up. Finally, she did to see him directly opposite. Her eyes never left him as she spoke.

#vss365 Outside was mocking him. It had been bright sunshine this morning but it had disappeared along with her smile. Now it was #overcast and prospects weren't looking good. She'd been outright frosty since she'd found out. She'd never looked at him like that before. He'd gone too far this time.

#vss365 "Rowan refuses to talk to me, Kae looks at me like I kicked his puppy..." Thos sighed and dropped onto the sofa. "What do you want me to do?" "I thought you could #mediate for me?" He smiled hopefully. "Like anyone listens to me." Realisation dawned on him. "You're mad at me too aren't you?"

I have just rambled on incessantly on my substack giving an update about how the first quarter of the writing year has gone, complete with stats! If you're interested, head over and have a look! #writing #publishing #reading #fiction #author open.substack.com/pub/lexikoni...

#vss365 "You have #surpassed all expectations." She eyed him suspiciously. "Why do I feel like the way you're saying it, it's a bad thing?" She watched him waver. "Oh, you wanted me to fail." "No, I," he paused. "I didn't want you to fail. Others hoped you would. And now things are...awkward."

#vss365 "You can rest #assured... What?" "I have never rested assured." She shrugged. "It's not any fault of yours. I will worry about this until it is over and the next thing comes along." "Can you, just this once, trust me?" He sounded so sincere. He had no idea how much she wanted just that.

#vss365 He crawled across the floor to her. Her eyes were glazed over and lifeless. As he checked for a pulse, his fingers chilled on contact. He pulled her across his lap and into his arms as he tried to share his #warmth. Her chest rose and fell rhythmically and yet was no spark of life in her.

#vss365 She made a move to the office door with a sigh. "We should go, they'll come looking for me soon and will want to know why you're here." He caught her wrist and tugged her back into his arms. "In a second." He daren't admit to himself, let alone her, how #precious these moments had become.

#vss365 "There." She stepped back and gave her handiwork a quick inspection. "It should work in complete #harmony with the magic and make sure you don't get any more cutouts." "You sure?" "Positive. Machines I get, just trust me." She faltered as he turned his attention to her. "Or not."

#vss365 "Does it hurt?" She stared at the palm of his hand where the ball of #lightning sat. "Me? No." "But if I touched it?" Her eyes were wide with wonder. He didn't know how to react, was he just a science experiment? "Depends on the power I put into it." She swallowed and pulled her hand away.

#vss365 Smoke and sparks filled the office as he looked around, surveying the damage. Stray magics calmed, fizzling out to nothing. He still felt the thrum of his power as he checked everyone was okay. His landed on her last. Magicless, she still looked fierce and powerful. He stared, #spellbound.

A little isometric cavern. Flaming pedestal. Chest on a plinth. Bosh. What more do you need?