The Quarry Junction Challenge
It was a rite of passage for every Courier to eventually return to Quarry Junction. The place was _miserably_ difficult, so much so that the recommended route from Goodsprings to New Vegas looped around the entire Mojave to avoid it. But, sooner or...
Wisteria
"Do you like movies?" "I'm a huge cinephile!" Kairo lied. "I wouldn't be applying to work at a movie theater otherwise." "What are some of your favorites?" "Oh, I love _2001: A Space Odyssey_ - Stanley Kubrick is a genius. _The...
21 Church Rd
Alone in the haunted house, Kairo thought about paws. The rabbit had been on the road for almost a week, bouncing from investigation to investigation like a band on a Midwest tour, and, with few opportunities to get off, they were getting pretty pent...
Furniture
Among the Telluric schools of magic, there were three ways to turn invisible, and Caprice had considered each one carefully as she planned her revenge. The first was the light-bending of the Lumomancers. The second was the aeroform transformation of...
Sunbask
It almost never happens in the lobby. You compliment someone's gear, or badge, or genomorph; maybe they say something back; then it peters out. Everyone is just passing through, and you never know how to hold their attention. This time is...
The Onyx Palace, Pt. III
He tore open door after door, pounded down hall after hall. The palace was in an uproar, attendants and Dodrec fleeing in confusion and alarm, and the sight of a huge, heavily armed foreign bear did the general tranquility no favors. Turning a...
The Onyx Palace, Pt. II
Even after Prince Mergen left, it took Shere some time to regain the ability to move. Even then, he was in no hurry to reunite with his guards. The illusory light was pleasing after so long away from home, and the cool breeze and gentle spray of...
The Onyx Palace, Pt. I
Great stone walls yawned overhead, far beyond the reach of the braziers' yellow light. Though its white-masked servants stoked the flames incessantly, the Onyx Palace was simply too vast, too stark and alien to ever be warmed. Two Dodrec guards...
A Snowy Day
_CW: Suicide, transphobia_ I wake up in your body. I can tell it's not mine before I even open your eyes because your weight, temperature, pace of breathing, and a million other qualities are different than what I'm used to. Not in a bad way -...
Feel Good
If it were a movie, it would go like this: Art strides down the second floor walkway of the Super 8, highway sounds in the distance. A low angle dolly shot follows, focused on the rolling bag behind him. The camera slowly lifts until it settles...
Floating and Sinking
Hover Swim Night at Velocity is pure sensory overload, but my focus is the otter across the bar. His blue hair caught my attention but his sleek build and too-tight tank top held it, and now I'm sipping a mojito to work up the nerve to do something...
Tell Me Your Secret
_Tell me your secret_, Val thought. The otter's tail switched back and forth eagerly, but his voice came out as calm as ever. "I have visual contact on the novel organism." A scoff from the other end of the comm. "Don't sound _too_ excited...