frogs_of_war

My boss is back! Twenty hours a week, but that is so much better than not at all.

Before she actually returned, I got stressed, worried about whether I would go from too many to too few hours. But the day she came back, everyone commented about how happy and relaxed I looked. Now we just need to figure out what I do and what she does, so nothing slips through the cracks. I felt good enough, knowing she'd be there, to take a three day weekend.

I may come in to a mess on Monday, but I'm going to enjoy the break.


Title: Two guardians
Series: A Balance of Harmonies (Three)
Status: Picture story
Genre: m/m/m romance, fantasy
Rating: R
Content: running, exhaustion, hunger, ideas, power, waking, flowers, smoke, a decision, will-o-wisp, safety, complaints, an argument, a dream, warmth, a welcome, joining, food
Length: about 2,900 words
Summary: Éimhín is running and he has two invisible spirits looking out for him.
Note: From a picture mentioned near the end that is based on a picture on my wall. If I can think of a better title, I'll change it.

Éimhín – eh Veen
Kliment – Klee ment
Pim — pim

Master list

Éimhín glanced behind him. He couldn’t hear the dogs or see the soldiers, but he knew they were there, in the forest somewhere. They couldn’t miss his trail. His palace slippers had worn out days ago and since then he’d left a trail of flowers in his wake.

( His gift never felt so much like a curse )

I heard about a recent wedding that was outdoors (or the reception was) and the couple had tents put up on the lawn a ways from the celebration so couples could sneak away (my head added “in twos and threes” and my muse grinned). This was an after-college-everyone-return-to-your-hometown wedding, so many of the people guests hadn’t seen each other since high school. So who were the tents actually for? Established couples? High school sweethearts that drifted apart? (I’d love to hear the conversation where the guy tells his fiancée that he needs a few minutes to get reconnected to his high school girlfriend and see what drink the fiancée pours on him.) Or singles with people they couldn’t get the nerve to ask out in high school?

This was told to me by someone doing the flowers, who was also the mother of one of the guests. She was unimpressed and scandalized (her son is in a long term relationship and she didn’t see them near the tents, which eased her worry). I saw story potential. Hopefully I’ll remember this when I have time to write.


And my baby name site changed its format so I can no longer jump pages when looking at 1,234 words at 30 names a page. And it took me forever to find the meaning-lookup button. And some of the names are gone. Grr.

Title: Farewell
Series: Picture story
Genre: m/m/m romance, Ancient Persian
Rating: R
Content: wind, invasion, fear, foulness, laughter, hope, pleading, agreement, begging, despair, names, an audience, effort, questions, a dispute, a command, fighting, chaos, cleaning up, annoyance, a farewell, temptation
Length: about 1,300 words
Summary: Emanat remembers the day he met his lover and started his new life.
Note: From picture mentioned in Harmonies chapter 92.

Emanat (ah MAH naht)
Khursheed (KHUR sheed)
Parvaiz (par VAZE)

Master list




Emanat leaned against the stone balcony and let his scarlet robe blow open in the wind. Khursheed would love the view, but Khursheed and his men were marching through the city on their way to adventures. They would visit far off places, fight battles, and bring home treasures. Emanat had been one of those treasures not long ago.

( Please )

To try to get my mind off things I can do nothing about, here's a story.


Title: The King’s Dilemma
Series: A Balance of Harmonies (Three)
Status: Picture story
Genre: m/m/m romance, alternate universe, Medieval Asia
Rating: R
Content: a unwanted gift, comfort, pacing, questions, logic, pain, food, sleepiness, sounds, a gentle hand, words, a plan, action,  translation, despair, a speech, introduction, a broken heart, more questions, begging, answers, an invitation, pleasre, happiness, a battle won
Length: about 3,300 words
Summary: When their enemy backs them into a corner, the king’s adviser has to break his own heart to save the day.
Notes: Based on the painting described in Breve at Pleasures.

Priam = Pry am
Eshan = Esh an
Konur = Kohn ur

Master list


Priam kept his face neutral in front of the Artatam ambassador. The man was up to something. Artatam and Madhyadeśi hadn’t been on friendly terms for three hundred years and their relations had grown even dicier since King Eshan’s grandfather had banned slavery, the so-called trade that brought Artatam most of its money.

( Will you accept it? )