frogs_of_war

I had a customer walk up to me on Sunday as I arranged flowers, stop in front of the kiosk, turn to me and say "Watermelon."

That told me nothing. Did she want directions to, help picking one, complaining she had bought a bad one, something else?

She just stared at me, so I prompted her, "Watermelon?"

"Watermelon!"

I was at a loss. What could I say to that?

Then she finally rallied and told me that this was the fourth store she'd been to seeking Watermelons. Did we have any? As I don't work in produce I didn't know, so I yelled over at the produce guy and asked. He showed her were they were and she left with one.

I'm chalking that up to the fact it was 5pm-on-a-warm-day temperature at 9am that morning for the second day running. Her brain was probably fried. Lucky it's cool down to just very warm instead of ghastly. We just aren't built for that kind of weather.

Crossposts: http://frogs-of-war.livejournal.com/178101.html

I worked Monday (10 hours), Tuesday (11.5 hours), Wednesday (10 hrs), Thursday (11.25 hr), Friday (11.25 hr), Saturday (10.5 hrs) and Sunday (8.5 hrs). That's just so hard on me. Along with the scrapes and bruises from working, my body was so stressed that I got sores in my mouth and two weird rashes (the very itchy one on my finger is, I think, a reoccurrence of a rash I had as a kid) With all that overtime, I'm buying something nice.

But first I'm going to sleep for a few days...

This is a 52 (53?) foot trailer and we filled up the whole thing between Monday and Thursday. For perspective's sake, those pallets (blue/ brown things) come two thirds of the way up the trailer, all the flower bunches are as packed as I could make them, the last half of the walk way is crammed with buckets, the milk crates the other buckets are sitting on go all the way to the door, and I pushed a six wheeler (low cart) stacked with boxes into that empty space before I closed the door. And by Sunday 2pm, the trailer was empty, except for the pallets, milk crates, and trash.

Crossposts: http://frogs-of-war.livejournal.com/177697.html

All the books at Less Than Three Press are 30% off as this month is their 8th anniversary, which means that my new book, which is still on pre-order for the next few hours is less than $2. (After it officially comes out, it will be a little over $2.). So pop on by and pick it up.

Crossposts: http://frogs-of-war.livejournal.com/177523.html

I'm reading a book (The Black Moth) that had it not been written in 1920, I would have been sure, about four chapters in, that the two most prominent guys would have started a torrid love affair even though they were still enemies of a sort. But I looked up the summary of the book (knew it was a romance, but had yet to be introduced an unmarried woman) and the first guy we met saves a maiden (presumably from the other prominent guy, who sister is married to first guy's brother). I'm going to finish it and see if my flight of fancy is better or worse than the written word.

Title: Too Quiet, part 4 (end)
Side story to: Complex
Length: 3293 words
Summary: Salathiel has a wonderful evening

Master list: lj DW

After the dinner dishes were washed, Aleš snuggled up to Salathiel. “We made pajamas, so we can sleep beside you.”

“That’s what the buttons were for.” Jonáš nodded. “We’ll go put them on.”( Read more... )

Crossposts: http://frogs-of-war.livejournal.com/177236.html

One more to go.

Title: Too quiet, part 3
Side story to: Complex
Length: 2651 words
Summary: Salathiel's trash is the familiar's treasure. And Salathiel and Cunobelinus have a fight.

Master list: lj DW

Steele kissed Dal’s hand as he stepped away. “Would you like me to bring your sewing stuff tonight? You have that shirt you wanted to finish.”

Dal’s eyes twinkled. “Please.” ( Read more... )

Crossposts: http://frogs-of-war.livejournal.com/177133.html

Today's bookkeeper forgot to bring me my till, so I went and got it after someone handed me cash (by far most transactions are with a card: credit, debit, or gift). He told me to donate the penny when I got it. But it turns out the bookkeeper forgot to give me any pennies. I realized this when the next customer handed me cash, but instead of shrugging off the fact I couldn't give her the penny right away, she started tearing up. I said I could go get her the penny. She said that would be best. I walked half way across the store to the bookkeeper's office, got the roll of pennies, walked back, opened the roll and gave her one.

I've never had anyone threaten to cry over a penny before.

Title: Too Quiet, part 2
Side story to: Complex
Length: 1887 words
Summary: Salathiel gets what they want and find it was exactly the wrong thing.

Master list: lj DW

Cunobelinus, of course, thought the bites were a great idea. They washed their hands before they presented them, which showed greater manners than Salathiel had, and licked the little paws. Salathiel was still uneasy.

“Could I… Could you please.” Salathiel swallowed hard. “Would you switch to your human form and let me do the cutting?” ( Read more... )

Crossposts: http://frogs-of-war.livejournal.com/176852.html

This story is a result of man-children and listening to "Why is Vermont so White"

Title: Too Quiet, part 1
Side story to: Complex
Length: 2000 words
Summary: Salathiel has problems with Aleš and Jonáš method of communication.

Master list: lj DW

Salathiel looked into his full living room feeling lonelier than ever. His son’s Mate had had his kittens on Salathiel bedspread to save the plush carpets. And those kittens’ other parent was now his son’s lover.

Why did that work for Hezekiel and not for Salathiel? Why was their son, after having done so many stupid things and even brought scholars of the law and religion down on his head, why was their son happy?( Read more... )

Crossposts: http://frogs-of-war.livejournal.com/176458.html

Title: Rescue, part 2
Side story to: Complex
Length: 2235 words
Summary: Tiziano sees who he most wants to at the worst possible time.

This half only has violence against people to do violence against people who are animals.

Master list: lj DW

Tiziano gave his statement which was fact plus hearsay, supposition, and conjecture. Everyone looked as grim as he felt by the time he was done. He took those feeling out on a punching bag because one didn’t take them out on the defendant, no matter how guilty one knew they were.

If only he’d been the one who got a good kick in when the creep was out for the count. The official statement said a former captive applied the kick. Sure.( Read more... )

Crossposts: http://frogs-of-war.livejournal.com/176223.html

The last day of my vacation and finally one without a doctor's appointment. I have a contusion (bruise) between the bones in the ball of my foot. No wonder it hurts.

Title: Rescue, part 1
Side story to: Complex
Length: 2393 words
Summary: Tiziano must allow himself to be sold on the black market to rescue two kittens

Warning: This first half has violence against people-animal. If you don't want to read that but still want to get the just: read the first section, scroll down to the end then back up slowly and read the last two sections.

Note: the letter š sounds like sh.

Master list: lj DW

Tiziano leaned against his boss’s desk. “What’ve you got for me today?”

Tatiana took a breath. “It might be dangerous.”

“Danger’s my middle name.” Tiziano buffed his nails on his jacket.

“I don’t mean ‘coaxing’ info out of a blackmailer or breaking into a guarded building. I need someone to embed themselves into a demon’s collections.”

Tiziano grinned. “And you thought of me? How sweet. Do demons still have collections?”

He’d had heard stories of demons making a zoo out of sentient beings, but they were all well before his time.( Read more... )

Crossposts: http://frogs-of-war.livejournal.com/176090.html

As I was writing a side story for this, I used "who" for kittens (instead of that or which), but Word wasn't happy with that and changed my "who'd" to "which'd" a construction I've never actually seen before.

Title: Complex
Chapter: 11
Length: 1964 words
Summary: Steele's parents ask too many questions.

Master list: lj DW

Steele sat in the diner across from Mom while Dad helped Dal with the order. Steele had wanted to help, but Dad overruled him, which meant either that Dad really liked Dal or, more likely, that Mom wanted to talk to Steele.

"So what's this about a demon I've been hearing about?"

The second then.

"What do you what to know?" Where was he even going to start?

"Everything."( Read more... )

Crossposts: http://frogs-of-war.livejournal.com/175831.html

My goal before my next counseling visit was to visit the apartment's gym. I did that today. I tried out the bike for ten minutes then used the stair machine for 5. That five almost killed me. We also have a lateral step machine, which, if I can figure out how to use it, might help strengthen my hips and loosen up my ankles, but I was only on it for a moment today. I didn't even notice my sore feet while on the stairs, but then I might not have noticed the place on fire as I counted down the second until I could get off.

Title: Complex
Chapter: 10 (penultimate)
Length: 2212 words
Summary: Hezekiel is again stupid, but Steele's chill.

Master list: lj DW

Hezekiel opened his door for Steele. Why couldn't they go out? Or even just meet in neutral territory? Hezekiel felt like a mistress who was supposed to be happy that her lover had bothered to darken her door at all. Might as well get the pleasantries over with. "Come in. How's Doll?"

"He's fine. How are you? Heard your TAing again."

The nosy idiot. "Keeping track of me?"( Read more... )

Crossposts: http://frogs-of-war.livejournal.com/175494.html

Master bathroom is clean, ceiling to floor, aside from the two corners behind the toilet that I couldn't get the dust out of. We aren't putting everything back, so we now have a lot more counter space. We put the shower curtain through the washer, so now it's clean, but some of the color came off. More light in the shower?

Title: Complex
Chapter: 9
Length: 665 words
Summary: Steele reassures his husband.

Master list: lj DW

Steele was out of the shower before Dal got back to their room. Dal tried to pretend like nothing was different. Steele wrapped his arms gently around. "I love you."

Dal buried his face in Steele's shoulder. Steele petted his back. "Harder than you thought?"

Dal nodded without looking up.

"Do you want me to tell you about it?" ( Read more... )

Crossposts: http://frogs-of-war.livejournal.com/175308.html

The big spring cleaning isn't going to happen, but at least little things are getting done. And I finished the side story, so there's that.

Title: Complex
Chapter: 8
Length: 2867 words
Summary: Hezekiel doesn't like other people in his business, even if they think it's their business. But maybe he'll like the result.

Master list: lj DW

Hezekiel was asked question after question by two of the experts, but the third only sniffed him.

After the hearing convened again, the first expert insisted that Hezekiel was Mated only to Doll, but that Doll was no longer bonded with him, something she'd never experienced before. The second expert said that since the bonding failed, at least on Doll's side, there was no true bonding. But that Hezekiel was bonded with Penelope.

The third expert, the sniffer, claimed Hezekiel was still bonded to both, and fairly equally. Although Doll's bond had been stronger due to its age, it had grown weak now that Hezekiel was no longer being fed. ( Read more... )

Crossposts: http://frogs-of-war.livejournal.com/175085.html

Title: Complex
Chapter: 7
Length: 1458 words
Summary: Steele has to sit though something important to other people.

Master list: lj DW

Steele got up from his seat and picked up his books. Class was finally out for the week. He packed everything in his backpack and headed outside. His friends were waiting in the quad.

Gabe grinned. "Coming out with us?"

"Going home to my husband."

Jareth, Steele's clubbing friend, shook his head. "I still can't see you as married."( Read more... )

Crossposts: http://frogs-of-war.livejournal.com/174656.html

My resolution to spring clean one room a day while on vacation sort of dissolved due to me staying up until 2am working on a side story to this.

Title: Complex
Chapter: 6
Length: 1599 words
Summary: Hezekiel puts in the effort and gets the perfect day, but that doesn't last.

Master list: lj DW

Hezekiel had agonized over his letter to Penelope. He'd poured his heart out to her, showed her how lost he was without her and begged to be allowed to kiss even the hem of her skirt. Cunobelinus said he just had to keep up the groveling until he believed himself dirt, then she'd give in. Hezekiel wasn't ready for that yet, but it seemed to work for Cunobelinus. They were back in the marriage bed by the second night, although the next week they almost got the boot again.( Read more... )

Crossposts: http://frogs-of-war.livejournal.com/174516.html

I'm doing spring cleaning this week. Today, I've got three sides of my living room done. The last side has the shoe shelf and my desk on it. I think they will take me as long as the rest of the room did, even though my desk top is less messy than normal. All the computer parts to unplug and dust off...

Title: Complex
Chapter: 5
Length: 3846 words
Summary: Steele takes a leap and discovers that Wizarding pharmaceuticals have come a long way. And gets Dall that piece of paper that he really wants.

Master list: lj DW

Steele had enjoyed the weekend without the fleabag of a demon around. More to the point Dal had enjoyed it. They'd gone out Friday night with friends and spent all Saturday hiking around the mountains with Steele's friends and several of Dal's classmates who had considered him a friend back before Hezekiel.

On Sunday he'd called his folks and everyone, including Lope's grandmother had wanted to talk to Dal then tell Steele how much they wanted to meet him in person. A trip home would cost more than he was comfortable with, but his brother mentioned that they were all going to pitch in a few bucks and see how far that went.

Lope had come over and despite Steele's misgivings, she got on quite well with Dal. But Steele was glad when she went home. He flopped onto the bed and stared at the ceiling. Dal straddled him. He put his hands on those perfect hips. ( Read more... )

Crossposts: http://frogs-of-war.livejournal.com/174267.html

Title: Complex
Chapter: 4
Length: 1852 words
Summary: The foundations of Hezekiel's world collapse

Both Hezekiel's parents use the singular they as their pronoun of choice.

Master list: lj DW

Hezekiel trudged up to Penelope's dorm room, straightened his shoulders, and knocked politely. Her roommate answered, but instead of calling Penelope like she normally did, she just smacked her gum and stared at him.

When he tried to look past her, she rolled her eyes. "Pen doesn't want to talk to you."

That wasn't right at all. "She does."

"The least you can do is acknowledged that you hurt her."( Read more... )

Crossposts: http://frogs-of-war.livejournal.com/174072.html

Title: Complex
Chapter: 3
Length:1890
Summary: Steele has a very bad day.

Master list: lj DW

Steele walked into the weight room just as Lope was wiping down the shoulder press machine. "Starting or finishing?"

Lope made a face. "Starting. You never know who used these before you. Spot me?"

"Sure." Steele took the cleaning supplies back to the station then went to count Lope's reps.

She was not giving him the eager glances he'd become used to since the term started. They'd known each other on and off since they were tots. He still thought of her as almost a sister. After what she'd said at that party, she didn't agree.

"Meet someone new?"( Read more... )

Crossposts: http://frogs-of-war.livejournal.com/173668.html

Title: Complex
Chapter: 2
Length: 883 words
Summary: Hezekiel did the right thing, didn't he, when he broke up with the one who couldn't be his Mate, now that he'd met his real Mate? But then why does he miss him so much and need him so badly?

Master list: lj DW

Hezekiel stormed through the dorm. People were staring, but he didn't care. He had to get to Doll. Just because he wasn't Hezekiel's Mate, didn't mean Hezekiel didn't care about him. He cared a lot. More than he should, considering how wrong he'd been about the Mate thing. Those two years had meant something.

He followed Doll's faint scent to a demon shielded dorm on the very top floor. Who would do that? Doll was his!
( Read more... )

Crossposts: http://frogs-of-war.livejournal.com/173460.html

Title: Complex
Words: 20-ish k
Summary: Steele finally gets the guts to make the moves on his crush, now that Dal is just the ex-Mate of a Demon, and gets far more than he expects. Hezekiel did the right thing, didn't he, when he broke up with the one who couldn't be his Mate, now that he'd met his real Mate? But then why does he miss him so much?

Chapters: lj and DW
1 one
2 two
3 three
4 four
5 five
6 six
7 seven
8 eight
9 nine
10 ten
11 eleven

Side: Rescue
Words: 4.6k
Summary: Tiziano has to go undercover to save two kittens
- Warning first half has violence against people in animal forms
1 One
2 Two

Side: Two Quiet
Words: almost 10k
Summary: Salathiel has a hard time adapting to two pretty familiars living in his home.
1 One
2 Two
3 Three
4 Four

Crossposts: http://frogs-of-war.livejournal.com/173270.html

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frogs_of_war

the dawning of the rest of our lives

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