In Her Coils
by Thecheese01
Liz stared out at the club floor from her darkened corner, warily eyeing the mass of bodies cast in harsh neon lights and deep shadow, bumping and jostling. Some clustered around chairless tables, others the narrow bar at the far end of the room. The rest resided somewhere between, a single form of flesh and clothes, sheer and loose, vibrant and muted, glimmering metal, and perhaps the occasional patch of scales, the odd tuft of fur from a flicking ear or tail.
But mo

Bloom
by Thecheese01
A cool and pleasant breeze drifted down the broad avenue, carrying with it the scents and sounds of tranquil early-afternoon: the chiming bell of a passing bicycle, tires crunching along cobbled streets, wisps of wind tangling in the canopies of maples, the mouth-watering aroma of freshly-baked bread from a few shops down, the sharp, earthy bouquet of a freshly-poured cup of coffee.
Tess sighed, a relaxed smile on her lips, and opened her eyes to glance down at the small gla

The Witching Hour Summons
by Thecheese01
Ez was drunk.
Probably. It was certainly the most comforting explanation for the borderline-illegible text Ava had just received from her part-time acquaintance, featuring far too many numbers, not a single capital letter, and no less than seven periods at its conclusion in some beastly aberration of an ellipses. Any specific meaning to the words—what few the message actually contained—proved elusive. Yet, the general tone gave Ava pause as sh

An Amiable Arrangement
by Thecheese01
Edlyn tried not to watch Mia undress. She really did.
It's not like there was anything on display she hadn't seen a dozen times before. She watched the cleric brush aside chestnut brown hair as she pulled her robes past her shoulders and let them slide down her back, exposing a broad expanse of pale skin until the cloth briefly bunched on her hips. Then, with a slight shimmy—
Damnit. Edlyn forced herself from her lecherous gaze and saw to her own prepa

What Lurks Within the Woods
by Thecheese01
“E- Excuse me, miss?”
Leigh winced. Despite the better part of five minutes sitting at the far end of the tavern rehearsing exactly what to say and working up the courage to finally make the approach, she’d managed to stumble over the very first word. Apparently, she should’ve practiced longer.
Yet, the target of her query seemed unperturbed. In fact, the woman hardly paid Leigh any mind at all, sitting at the counter while nursi

Ending on a High Note
by Thecheese01
Haley stepped into the shower, basking in the luxuriously warm water as it ran down auburn hair and soaked into every crack and crevice, easing away the irritations and frustrations of another day at the office. She gave a long, deep sigh as tension melted away, replaced by soothing warmth and the pleasant trickle of water across bare skin.
All things considered, it really hadn’t been that bad of a Friday. Just more of the same, honestly, although the u

Victims of Circumstance
by Thecheese01
 
They'd called it the Better Standards for Education Act, "to address the flagging performance of our public schools and better prepare our children to compete on an international stage." And, in some ways, it had done just that. A re-evaluated and modernized national curriculum, updated testing standards, even some additional—if laughably inadequate—funding.
But none of those had been the act's chief selling point, of course, and oh had i

The Confection Contract
by Thecheese01
 
Nathan was having the worst Halloween of his life.
Well, admittedly, he’d only been through eighteen of them, and he could really only remember a good thirteen or so. And there’d been that time when he was seven and he’d scraped his knee before reaching the third house and his mom had insisted they had back home. Or that one year where he’d still had his braces and couldn’t have any chewy or hard candies. Or, perhaps...

Browsing the Halloween Menu
by Thecheese01
 
"A nurse? Really?" Vicky said, less an expression of derision and more gentle bemusement, as she took another sip of something fruity and alcoholic from a disposable plastic cup.
"You know she's only doing it for Jake's benefit, right?" Jess said, reclined in her foldout chair, eyes fixed on whoever had apparently just taken the stage.
Well, stage was one word for it: more a cleared portion at the far end of the courtyard-turned-venue for this ye

The Merchant and the Mage
 by Thecheese01
 
A late-morning throng of eager patrons crowded the floor of The Ninth Life, jostling and shouting as they appraised an eclectic variety of wares suited for any and all adventuring needs. Some huddled together, engaged in hushed conversation with fellow party members as they discussed finances and priority. Others bartered with one of the few clerks, seeking to sell acquired wares or make new purchases of their own.
Adelynn had finished one su

Favor of the West Wind
by Thecheese01
I: Ascension
One foot, then the other. One foot, then the other.
Moriko maintained a steady rhythm as she gradually ascended the narrow mountain path, eyes locked firmly on the ground before her. It was not a particularly treacherous path by reasonable standards, largely flat save its steady incline, and surprisingly stable. Two men could comfortably walk abreast. Perhaps brave men, if they wore armor. However, two factors slightly complicated what would oth

Old Flames
by Thecheese01

"Sara?"
The voice was muffled, groggy, yet immediately familiar. Her response caught in her throat, if only for the briefest moment. How long had it been?
"Hey."
A faint shifting and a slight groan came over the line. "It's one in the morning. Everything alright?"
Another brief pause.
"Uh, no. I have a problem with a... a thing."
A long sigh trailed out of the speaker. "What thing, Sara?"
"You know, the thing."
A pregnant pause followed, entirely silent.
"I thought yo

A Young Witch's Lesson in Creative Thinking
by Thecheese01
She was doing it. She was actually doing it!
Brilliant, shimmering light reflected off Nissa's eyes, bright white contrasting with deep green. Her vision swam as she forced herself to look directly into her fragile, if blinding creation. The orb of pure, white light hung tenuously in the air, it's edges shifting and wobbling, as if they could give at any moment. They probably would, but it didn't matter. This only needed to last for a se