Record, maybe

[frogs_of_war]

 I wrote 20,000 words in the last three days (20k is after cutting scenes that weren't working etc and the three days include a day when i didn't get home until 5pm). Over 9k of this was yesterday. The most I've remember ever writing was 34k over seven (calendar) days and I think my daily record was about 7k. My back and legs are sore from all those hours of sitting. 

Whatever I write next is going to have short character names. This one had Steele and Dal, but also Hezekiel and his parents Salathiel and Cunobelius, plus Onesimus, all of which I had to write over and over. Penelope gets shorted to Pen or Lope depending on the whose talking, but only one person shortens Hezekiel. I am so tired of demon names. 

Which means that this long story leaned itself to not one but two side stories. And they both involve demons. 

I really need to edit it (I've only gone though and fixed the typos and then only of the first half. Better get to that), but I thought I'd give you a taste of the story that sucked my soul the last few days, but made me feel more alive than ever.

Yes, Charis, this is the one I told you about.

~~~~~~~

Steele walked gently up to the bench where beautiful Dal wept. The compulsion to stay away was strong—Dal had belonged to a demon until just two weeks ago.
 

But Steele wasn’t going to let a little thing like that get between him and comforting the cutest Junior on campus. “Dal?”
 

Dal flinched then looked up through his wet lashes. “Sorry.”
 

He was so pretty.
 

Steele held up a hand but didn’t quite touch Dal. Dal leaned into him and changed into the prettiest, tiniest, speckled cat Steele had ever seen then climbed into his lap. Steele stroked him gentle until he calmed and insisted on less gentle caresses. Dal was purring, so he must be better.
 

So warm. Dal’s voice was a tickle in the back of his mind.
 

“We’ll be warmer inside.”
 

Cat-Dal looked up. You can understand me? But you aren’t a familiar.
 

Now how did pretty little Dal know anything about Steele? They’d only had one class together and Dal had withdrawn halfway through Western Swing Dance because his new demon boyfriend was a jealous fleabag. “I’m not a cat, but I can understand you.”
 

Cat-Dal butted his head against Steele’s chest. Take me inside.
 

“Baby, I’ll take you anywhere.”
 

Cat-Dal meowed. It couldn’t really be translated. Steele folded Dal’s clothes and put them in his backpack, then buttoned Cat-Dal into his jacket. Cat-Dal looked out his collar, then tucked himself inside. 

~~~~~

Now I need to figure out if it will be better in 26 parts or in 12 chapters

And I better get my stuff ready for work. I have to go back tomorrow...