Wed 22 Aug 2012
Posted by Shurhaian under SLASh
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So much of Valan’s life had gone according to schedules – work shifts at the refinery, then as security; training; now, deployment. Even leave time had had its tasks that needed doing in a timely fashion. The skunk was so accustomed to waking up at a set time that even now, when he truly didn’t need to, he woke up six hours after he’d closed his eyes to sleep.
Still, the unfamiliar realization that he could lounge about in his comfortable shuttle seat was a rather nice one.
Fri 10 Aug 2012
Posted by Shurhaian under Fist of the North
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Summer was in full swing, and the locals were happy for it. Children laughed and played in the fields, fresh fruits were in baskets all over town, and everyone was happy to see some sun.
It was past midday when Allan asked, “Have you seen Tabar lately?”
Tue 24 Jul 2012
Posted by Shurhaian under One-shot
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The sound of Luke’s own footsteps sounded foreign to him, now – claws clicking on the linoleum despite his efforts to the contrary. It was a constant reminder of what he was now – and thus of what he’d lost. At least he could walk, now; it had been weeks before he could do so at all, and weeks more before his balance was steady. Reaching for the refrigerator, and seeing a hand clad in soft grey fur, was still jarring.
“Oh, hey.”
It was a familiar voice, and it wasn’t like there were more than a half-dozen people with access to this house, but there were elements to it now that he’d never heard before. Yet another reminder that he didn’t need… “Hey, Monica,” he sighed, grabbing the jug of filtered water.
Mon 23 Jul 2012
Jeff turned over, trying to catch the soft breath of the fan on a little bit more of himself.
Damn this heat; he hadn’t been able to get a good night’s sleep for days. His little room with its one window didn’t have nearly enough air movement to keep comfortable at night. He was already sleeping on top of the covers; there wasn’t much more he could do.
At length, either some shift outside let the air cool down a bit, or fatigue finally won out. At long last, he drifted into fitful slumber.
Thu 19 Jul 2012
Posted by Shurhaian under One-shot
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The sound of a phone being very roughly slammed onto its cradle made Francis sit bolt upright. Jennie was not, as a rule, someone who got upset easily; that sort of outburst probably meant something big was going on. He started saving his work.
He’d just closed his laptop and was pushing it away from him when she burst into the room. “Francis! Lara says she saw you making out with Vernon!”
Sat 14 Jul 2012
Posted by Shurhaian under Snowlock
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Arron pushed the door shut against the winter wind and leaned against it with a sigh as he latched it.
What a miserable day. Just walking home from the Laughing Dog had robbed him of most of the warmth he’d gained from their excellent stew.
At least it was only the weather against him. The rest of the day had been satisfying enough; he could turn in to rest in the knowledge that the day had not been wasted.
Wed 27 Jun 2012
Posted by Shurhaian under One-shot
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Toby eased the door shut behind him, keeping the knob turned. Once it was closed, only then did he let up and allow the striker to slip home.
Nothing stirred within the apartment; nobody had responded to his key in the door, nor answered his soft greeting. That was understandable; it was, after all, getting pretty late. It would’ve been nice if John was still up, and it wouldn’t have been all that late for him to be, but it wasn’t all that surprising.
Somewhat more so was that he’d pulled out the sofabed in the living room and gone to sleep there. Surprising, and probably not a good sign; guests aside, they mostly used that bed if one of them wasn’t feeling well. That hadn’t been the case when Toby went to work, but a lot could change in ten hours.
The fact that he hadn’t called Toby at work suggested it wasn’t too dire, at least.
Tue 26 Jun 2012
Posted by Shurhaian under One-shot
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As chance meetings went, this one had turned out pretty good.
Jenny had been walking down Denton Street, keeping an eye out for one of the many lonely men in the city with more money than charm who might be in need of some company, and trying to keep out of the wind and rain without sacrificing that, when she’d met him. Tall, fit, good-looking, nice smile – not her usual sort of client; she’d smiled back, waved, said hello, and started to go on her way.
“Rough night to be out,” he’d said. “Want to duck inside for a coffee or something? My treat.”
She’d been surprised; she’d laughed. “You know, hon, if you’re looking for company you don’t need to go through all that fancy stuff.”
“Oh, I know,” he’d said, and smiled even wider. “That’s not what I’m after. Call it professional courtesy. I won’t keep you long.”
Mon 25 Jun 2012
Posted by Shurhaian under One-shot
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For some time – maybe seconds, maybe minutes – Ash just stared at the blank surface of the door in front of him, his heart hammering in his chest. The view offered him neither answers nor reassurance.
He took a breath and tried to remind himself that he’d been invited here. It wouldn’t be an imposition to announce that he was here, even if he had got to this spot a bit early. It might be something of one if he let himself be late.
Another breath, and he glanced at his chrono. Despite the eternity that he felt like he’d been standing here, he was still a few minutes early – he hadn’t frittered away that much time, at least. Best to get moving on this before he did.
Which would be so much easier if not for the contents of the little bag dangling from his tail, and just what his would-be host had said about this visit that prompted that package… but if he went down that mental road, he’d probably freak out and bolt.
Instead, he stretched up on his toes to reach the door chime.
Tue 12 Jun 2012
Posted by Shurhaian under One-shot
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It can’t be done, they’d all said.
Why not? Jofrey had asked.
But then, that could describe much of the young man’s life to date. He’d always chafed under rules and restrictions, the more so when nobody could give him a good answer why those rules existed in the first place. Some of them made perfect sense, at least once he was old enough to see other people as people and not mobile scenery. He wouldn’t want his possessions taken from him, so he shouldn’t take things that belonged to others. Fine.
But why couldn’t he walk through the orchard instead of around it? Why was this treat only made around Midsummer when the ingredients were always at hand? Why did he need to approach dray lizards always from the left? Why was it so important to use this fork for the main course and that one for dessert?
Fri 8 Jun 2012
Posted by Shurhaian under Hematite
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He sat apart from the crowd, nursing his drink, but he watched them. In the cut and colour of clothing, in the flow of the crowd, in the movement of individual bodies, in every gesture, his keen gold eyes looked for patterns even as they saw beauty. In each footstep, each heavy beat of the music, his ears detected a rhythm that his heart found itself following. He never focused on any one person for long, but he watched almost always, only rarely turning his attention to the bartender for a refill and that for as little time as he could manage.
He couldn’t sustain that sort of scrutiny forever, especially not as the drink and the beat collided in some corner of his mind and started to dull his senses; and as his picture of the crowd came to be dominated by motion over form, he lost himself in the flow, his sight losing focus as his thoughts turned inward.
Mon 4 Jun 2012
Posted by Shurhaian under SLASh
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The lights were off. Aside from the moon and stars outside the window, only a digital clock gave any form to the darkness.
It was enough for Jekkrand Tramessor to see the figure on the couch, Authority blacks broken by the white shirt under his open tunic collar. The wolverine’s night-eyes weren’t the best – not like some on his force, who could read a book in a room like this, and that wasn’t even considering people with augments – but he didn’t need to see well to know something was gnawing at the panther. Nobody ever sat so still, in a slouch like that, whose mind was at rest.
The ragged sound of his breaths was almost reassuring. It at least told Jekkrand that the man was alive and conscious.
Fri 1 Jun 2012
Posted by Shurhaian under One-shot
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It was just a trick of the light. It had to be.
Eric couldn’t really have seen himself, wearing fine clothes and fancy jewellery, in the crowd coming out of the subway station. He hadn’t worn his good suit and months, and he didn’t even have that much jewellery, couldn’t possibly afford it.
It must have just been a reflection of his face happening to match with someone better-dressed. Right?
Wed 30 May 2012
Posted by Shurhaian under The Future is Furry
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Laughter and animated conversation drifted out as the door opened. The mouse in the doorway grinned at the latest arrivals. “Hey, Alex! Hey, Rollie! C’mon in and get set up, you’re the last ones here.”
“Hey, Jake.” The fox on the doorstep shifted one hand free of his burden long enough to give the mouse a friendly cuff on the shoulder. “Haven’t been waiting too long, I hope?”
“Nah, it’s all good, Rollie. You’re still early. Hope you’re okay with the spots that are left, though, it’s getting kinda crowded in here.”
Wed 30 May 2012
Posted by Shurhaian under SLASh
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For some time, silence settled.
When it broke, that silence gave way to a frustrated utterance of “Why?”
The tiger leaned on the window sill, arms stiff, hands tense. “Why,” he repeated, “do you have to do this? You could get hurt, Tazzer! You could get…” The words choked off in his throat, and he sagged over the sill.