Place:
The Clover Court, a hidden casino where wagers alter destiny itself.
#vssfantasy #fantasy #vss #writing #writingcommunity #poetry #shortstory #prompts #writingprompt #place
Character:
A gambler blessed by a trickster god who begins to suspect the blessing is actually a trap.
#vssfantasy #fantasy #vss #writing #writingcommunity #poetry #shortstory #prompts #writingprompt #character
Imagery:
A silver coin spinning in midair, suspended by magic, refusing to land.
#vssfantasy #fantasy #vss #writing #writingcommunity #poetry #shortstory #prompts #writingprompt #imagery
Concept:
Luck is a visible aura that changes color depending on how much a person has left.
#vssfantasy #fantasy #vss #writing #writingcommunity #poetry #shortstory #prompts #writingprompt #concept
So What we had Were duplicit commonalities All along? What is this song - the quest you're on? Never mind I don't need this any more Go ahead Tell your tales of fortune But tell them to somebody else Your shining armour is a lie And you are not a knight You're just lost Always on the verge Of being found Just without The dragon's courage © Stefanie Neumann - @KokopelliBFree
#WritingCommunity #poetry #vss365 #BSPP51 #firewords280
-
So
What we had
Were duplicit commonalities
All along?
What is this song - the quest you're on?
Never mind
I don't need this any more
Go ahead
Tell your tales of fortune
But tell them to somebody else
Your...
1/2
2/2
...shining armour is a lie
And you are not a knight
You're just lost
Always on the verge
Of being found
Just without
The dragon's courage
-
#vssfantasy #WildWalkPrompt #MadMarch #PennedReveries #fairytalepoets
His parents were perplexed by why good luck always seemed to follow their son. They sought out a seer for answers. The old seer said fortune was a river spirit, fickle as moonlight on water, and that it had taken a liking to the boy for reasons lost to any mortal tongue.
#vssfantasy
#vssfantasy #amwriting #writingcommunity
I've never felt like this before, never been wanted like this. He makes me feel real, seen, and loved. I crave his presence and the satisfaction of that #intimacy we share. Hearing his voice settles something in my soul, allowing me to be my truest self.
#vssfantasy #amwriting #writingcommunity
The creature is just beyond, behind that heavy wooden door. We're supposed to explore, to #embrace and follow what evidence we were given. Unfortunately, the others are late and I find myself alone.
Should I go in? Should I rush ahead and split the party?
#vssFantasy #amwriting #writingcommunity
That #fortune is all they should be applauded for. For them it is easy to grin and pretend that they have no connection to what their families do. They let fear and hatred rule, throwing away common sense for the mere hint of respect that might hide the lie.
She had inherited a #fortune from her parents. This made her the most desirable woman in town. Most had eyes on just her gold. She made arrangements to safeguard her interests before anything happened.
Her loyal retainers helped spirit her away, with her wealth before anyone realized.
#vssfantasy
He opened his eyes, finding himself in a bright space, how serendipitous! We’re free! He sent to Ar’Thyl, but no reply came. Ar’Thyl? Bill backed up into a corner, trying to make sense of where he was. Am I back home, did none of this even happen? He was sitting in a rocky area where he could hear water from beyond his little hide. He pushed a curl of his hair out of his eyes and got up. Beyond the rocky outcrop he could see a large lake. The sun was right above, shining strongly. That’s not the sun, he thought with certainty. That is a ball of Light – magnitudes larger than the one I made. He shivered. A fear running through him that whoever had brought him here was someone vicious or any other philosophical crackpot. Water stirred directly in front of him startling him as a bright golden Edroth rose up from the water. Who are you? A voice asked Bill. “I’m Bill, who are you, where am I?” I’m Temozin. You are not my Aludim, but you are bonded. Peculiar. You are in my dream. This is the place I go to when I dream. “How can I be in your dream?” That I do not know, only my Aludim, Paolo, has joined me here before. This place is based on a memory of the city where I grew up. Over there is the city. Temozin indicated with his snout. To that side Bill could see a hill covered in stone buildings, a mast standing out towards the middle of the hill. The city was shining in the golden Light, its splendor was breathtaking. But you shouldn’t be here. Temozin said. Tell me, what do you remember? “We were battling Dreth with our friends when suddenly, well, after an attack we found ourselves in a tunnel. We’ve been making our way back the past couple of days. Me and my Aludim, Ar’Thyl. We think we’re close to the surface again.” The Edroth pondered this for a moment. I think you are in the tunnels of the Others. Some places are full of them. They… Bill tried to listen, but the golden city flickered and he found himself drawn from the dream and into a dark void…
WIP: Bill & Ar’Thyl
Part 61
Chapter 9
Dreams can take us to unknown, strange places…
#writingcommunity
#morningwriters
#vss365
#vssfantasy
#vssdaily
#vssmagic
#emoetry
#WIPSnips
weirdmicro not released
Follow along in my blog at chrissolbooks.com weekly – chapter 8 now up!
Text in ALT
By serendipity alone she met him on the road to town, her shawl lifting in the wind like a signal from some older, kinder world. Mary Margaret had been looking for answers and here was one right under her nose.
#vssfantasy
Gamblers lost their bets and their fortunes. Patients received bad news. Athletes started on a run of bad games. All over the world, things began to go wrong.
Lady Luck shrugged and hung up her staff. As the world panicked, she looked forward to retirement. They relied too much on her.
#vssfantasy
There was fate, and then there was #serendipity. If fate was an unbreakable law, then it was also predictable. Nature and magic worked hand in hand to make the life of mortals exciting.
Some mortals couldn't handle the chaos and submitted their terse, precisely worded complaints.
#vssfantasy
He sat at the station, warming his numb fingers on a hot cup of coffee. The pumpkin spice drew his mind into memories of Autumn's splendour - even on a dreary day like this. The proximity to Samhain brought up memories of vicious ghost stories, that would agitate him as a child. As if he had already sensed something, then, that he learnt to be true, later. When people looked at him, now, all they saw was a bum. He could see the pity in their eyes. But he was not the one to be pitied. Little did they know about the calamities ahead. Chances were, that the world would be ending in less than a week. Meanwhile, folks were planning for Thanksgiving dinners most likely never to be had. He took a deep breath, and then sipped on his pumpkin-spiced coffee... Something shifted. ... The cup in his hand now had a different colour, and the coffee inside smelled of roasted hazelnut. A sign over the counter said: Our Special Offer In March - Hazelnut Coffee March? Which year? ... He snagged the newspaper that somebody had left on the table next to him, and stared at the date. Then he smiled. Serendipity had done it, again! © Stefanie Neumann - @KokopelliBFree
#WritingCommunity #vss365 #vssfantasy #vsstimetravel #inkMine
-
He sat at the station, warming his numb fingers on a hot cup of coffee. The pumpkin spice drew his mind into memories of Autumn's splendour - even on a dreary day like this. The proximity to Samhain brought up memories of...
1/5
#vssfantasy There are no coincidences only seredipity.
#WritingPrompts
He woke up with a start, unsure if the dream had been real, or if it had been a gambit by some nefarious entity – or simply internalized limitations his own mind had assembled to describe who was helping them on their journey. He closed his eyes and shook his head, certain he’d get a cataract if he didn’t let it go. A cataract? No, hemorrhoids or something else that’s nasty He centered himself and cleared his head once more, letting his mind counter those thoughts with how real the dream had seemed no deception, I’m positive! What’s on your mind, Aludim? Ar’Thyl lifted his head to gaze at Bill. “It’s nothing, my mind is playing tricks on me. I had a strange dream, that’s all.” A strange dream? “Yeah, there was a golden Edroth and a ball of Light larger than the sun – well, larger than it appears in the normal sky.” Golden Edroth? Hmm none of our records indicate such a color pattern, purple – yes. But not golden. “I’m sure it was nothing.” Bill tried to deflect. He knew the dream had felt real, but the details were already slipping. “Oh! Joy! More sandwiches. And what’s this?” Around the food was a necklace of some kind, a lanyard, it looks like. At the end of the loop was a small stone, threaded through and fastened at the end. What might that do? It radiates power, whatever it is. “I don’t know, but I hope we’ll get out of here soon. My mind goes to strange places in here.” Louder than it should. I’m sure we will find our way out soon, Aludim. Ready to move? Bill gathered the remaining sandwiches in his satchel and held the lanyard in his hand, debating what he should do. Nodding to himself, he placed his head through the loop and put it on. “Ready as I’ll ever be! #VSSFantasy Gambit #VSS365 Cataract #VSSDaily Lanyard #VSSMagic Thread #Emoetry Deceived #WIPSnips Counter #WeirdMicro Internalized limitations
WIP: Bill & Ar’Thyl
Part 62
Chapter 9
The pressures of being too long underground…
#writingcommunity
#morningwriters
#vss365
#vssfantasy
#vssdaily
#vssmagic
#emoetry
#WIPSnips
#weirdmicro
Follow along in my blog at chrissolbooks.com weekly – chapter 8 now up!
Text in ALT
I'm looking at today’s prompts for the #WritingCommunity, and words linger on the edge, posing riddles. They challenge me to brave the cold night of unknowingness, before they wash over me like a dyslexic cataract. A picture prompt for ekphrastic poetry evokes oneiric notions. They are quite unsettling for me. As for site fidelity... Today, I'm breaking the rules. 15 Words, 8 Words, #haiku, horror, fantasy ... whatever posed, I'll throw it all together. That's what you get for burying me in threads of mysterious terms. Perhaps, I should have tried devination as a gambit. But it is too late, now. Drafting demons are hastening -- deprived of men's depravity. Sorry, wrong address. Only fragile flowers, and Spring sprigs, here. Pages don't turn -- I'm in awe. Or, if you like it more #acrostic: Holy cow Overwhelmed With what's now Hey, what's that? Misty motions in velvet gloom... something is coming... Oh, hello, Cerberus! - No, you cannot devour me with your right head. We have the same ascendant. Does your left head still have toothaches? Oh, I'm sorry. Well, kind of. My clavicles crush crunchingly, as the giant dog's middle head is snagging me, and chewing me up. Evening falls fast unexpected lasting sleep -- some mornings won't come. By the way: Happy Birthday, Dave! © Stefanie Neumann - @KokopelliBFree
#poetry #vss365 #BSPP51
@darkxfer.bsky.social @ourpoetryx.bsky.social
-
I'm looking at today’s prompts for the #WritingCommunity, and words linger on the edge, posing riddles. They challenge me to brave the cold night of unknowingness, before they wash over me like a dyslexic cataract.
...
/1
/2
...
A picture prompt for ekphrastic poetry evokes oneiric notions. They are quite unsettling for me.
As for site fidelity... Today, I'm breaking the rules. 15 Words, 8 Words, #haiku, horror, fantasy ... whatever posed, I'll throw it all together. That's what you get for burying me in...
/3
...threads of mysterious terms.
Perhaps, I should have tried devination as a gambit. But it is too late, now.
Drafting demons are
hastening -- deprived of men's
depravity.
Sorry, wrong address. Only fragile flowers, and Spring sprigs, here.
Pages don't turn -- I'm in awe.
...
/4
...
Or, if you like it more #acrostic:
Holy cow
Overwhelmed
With what's now
Hey, what's that?
Misty motions in velvet gloom...
something is coming...
Oh, hello, Cerberus!
- No, you cannot devour me with your right head. We have the same ascendant. Does your left head still have...
/5
...still have toothaches? Oh, I'm sorry. Well, kind of.
My clavicles crush crunchingly, as the giant dog's middle head is snagging me, and chewing me up.
Evening falls fast
unexpected lasting sleep
-- some mornings won't come.
By the way: Happy Birthday, Dave!
-
#firewords280 #BraveWrite ...
Her smile was a gambit, soft and strange, like the shimmer of a spell half-cast, and he felt the ground shift beneath his boots. The earth gave a sigh, and the stones rearranged themselves in patterns he could not read. He should have stepped back. Instead, he asked her name.
#vssfantasy
“If you not so #obsessed with the #quest I'd #forgive you!” The pixie fluttered.
The elven pilot punched it. " #Cerberus is of Hades #Steel! We #thread that #orbital gap at full #velocity and #splendor awaits!”
“If the #gambit fails?”
“Death.”
#vss365 #2WordPrompt #HorrorPrompt #vssmagic #vssfantasy
“Is that…”
#Forgive my ruse. We must kill #Cerberus. It, like you, is old and it has a #cataract on the left side. I’ll #thread my #steel through that side and you drain the right until I can kill it.”
“Can I drink that?”
“Hence the #gambit.”
#vss365 #2WordPrompt #HorrorPrompt #vssmagic #vssfantasy
Lethargy threatened to overwhelm him as they began the days walk. However, they didn’t walk far before a wall stopped their progress. The wall seemed coated in a viscous liquid of some sort, but when Bill touched it, he realized it was just an illusion. Along one side he found a small indentation which he thought looked like the pendant he had around his neck. He placed the pendant in the opening and the illusion fell away, the wall retracted into the sides of the tunnel and an opening into a large, empty cavern was before them. The chamber had a tall, tapered ceiling, and he could see two openings on the other side of the space. “Come, let’s try the largest of the two openings, hoping it leads us out.” As good an idea as the other. It feels like we’re near the surface, the air pressure feels right. They entered into a small hallway that led to a large, almost square tunnel going perpendicular to the hallway. “There are steps here in the dust, look.” Yes, I think four pairs of feet have shuffled through here. I wonder… Elijah, Nick, Tori and Anthony fought Dreth among the pyramids of Teotihuacán. They described a tunnel like this. Bill noticed some other footprints leading towards where they had emerged. “Those prints are different, were there another one present that day?” The professor, G’Roth’s vessel, was here too, but none of the transcripts tell of him being down here. Bill got a weird sensation there had been someone else here. “Let’s follow where they walked, see if we can find a way out.” As they walked, they came to an area that looked like a square above them. Ar’Thyl noticed a slightly glowing spot on the wall beside them. Look, there.
Bill noticed some other footprints leading towards where they had emerged. “Those prints are different, were there another one present that day?” The professor, G’Roth’s vessel, was here too, but none of the transcripts tell of him being down here. Bill got a weird sensation there had been someone else here. “Let’s follow where they walked, see if we can find a way out.” As they walked, they came to an area that looked like a square above them. Ar’Thyl noticed a slightly glowing spot on the wall beside them. Look, there. Bill moved closer to see. “It looks like another button. I’ll place my pendant there and see what happens.” He did so and was surprised when the pendant disappeared into the wall, leaving him only with the lanyard around his neck. The walls started making noise, and a small stripe of Light appeared above them. He moved close to his Aludim as the square above them divided into four slices, and like a shutter made of stone it opened. Climb up, we’ll fly out. Ar’Thyl bent down to let Bill climb up before he leapt into the opening and heard screams all around. They were indeed at the pyramids of Teotihuacán. Around them were many tourists and locals admiring the ancient structures. Phones flashed. They heard “Another one!”, “cool!”, “I’m live!” From all around. Bill quietly said, “The media is going to love this.” Unless the institutional narrative takes hold. We should fly back to Al’Edos I think…” A woman made her way through the throng of people in front of them. as she came up to them, she called out; “Divine providence!” “Have you seen our son? Paolo? He disappeared two weeks ago, right here. In my dreams I’ve seen him with one of you… an Edroth, a golden one. Have you seen him?” #VSSFantasy Providence #VSS365 Lethargy #VSSDaily shutter #VSSMagic Coat #Emoetry Empty #WIPSnips Media #WeirdMicro Institutional narrative
WIP: Bill & Ar’Thyl
Part 63
Chapter 9
Echoes of stories past…
#writingcommunity
#morningwriters
#vss365
#vssfantasy
#vssdaily
#vssmagic
#emoetry
#WIPSnips
#weirdmicro
Follow along in my blog at chrissolbooks.com weekly – chapter 8 now up!
Text in ALT
© Stefanie Neumann - @KokopelliBFree Tied souls, reborn tethered... This sounds romantic, doesn't it? Perhaps a play of lovers being drawn to each other in every lifetime, bodies tethered together with legs winding around legs, and arms wrapping around waists, and shoulders. A spectacle of skin meeting skin, meeting breath under softdrifts that adjust towards desired touch. Tongues dancing, slow, so slow, at first, gentle... then faster, demanding. Magical kisses coating the most delicious hills, and valleys, while hips are yearning for each other until they rhythmically entwine in lofty rawness. Oh, the sweetest taste of sweetness, little death, after little death, after little death... A fairytale guided by providence. And providence is guiding. But what if those tethered souls are incarnated on distant shores? What if one is serenely enshrouded in darkness, while the other is sulking in the light? What if you first have to detangle the ties, let go completely, and be entirely you, before you ever can be with each other? Oh, blimey, sweet liberty, you stymie. What if, along the path, you hurt each other more deeply, than anybody else could ever do, more devastatingly than you'd ever imagine possible? Then, one falls into stonewalling lethargy, yet the other attempts to move mountains, alone, while both are being crushed by their weight. Have you ever felt the weight of a mountain? Then, providence lets it rain, as a confession that the only one who ever guided anything was you. And for the life of you, you cannot find your umbrella.
#WritingCommunity #vss365 #BSPP51
@darkxfer.bsky.social @ourpoetryx.bsky.social
-
Tied souls, reborn tethered...
This sounds romantic, doesn't it?
Perhaps a play of lovers being drawn to each other in every lifetime, bodies tethered together with legs winding around legs, and arms wrapping...
/1
/2
...around waists, and shoulders. A spectacle of skin meeting skin, meeting breath under softdrifts that adjust towards desired touch. Tongues dancing, slow, so slow, at first, gentle... then faster, demanding. Magical kisses coating the most delicious hills, and valleys, while hips are...
/3
...yearning for each other until they rhythmically entwine in lofty rawness.
Oh, the sweetest taste of sweetness, little death, after little death, after little death...
A fairytale guided by providence.
And providence is guiding.
But what if those tethered souls are incarnated on distant...
