I'M STILL ALIVE

And just to prove it, here's FOUR sneak peeks, one for each of my stories, even ones not yet revealed!

(Note that these are not final, so anything, be it names, plotlines, ect, will probably be changed.)

Destiny Vale

(Note that in this world, it takes place in a fantasy medieval era, but to make it more relateable to modern times, there are some modern phrases, objects, and so on, examples being coffee and modern slang. Don't worry though, there's no medieval iPhones.)

Eyes blinking open, Kallis groggily emerges from bed. Hir eyes still adjusting to the bright morning light, zi, still half asleep, fumbled forwards over to the kitchen. Once there and mostly awake, zi started buttering some bread. Maybe later they could all go grab some coffee. Speaking of everyone…

"Anyone up?" Kallis mumbled loudly, "Shera? Bryn?" Kallis was not answered.

"Come on, no one's up? Lilik, not even you?"

Kallis walked over closer to the other beds, arranged loosely around each other. Hir tail flickered in annoyance. Kallis was one of the many diverse species inhabiting the Vale, being a humanoid wildcat. Zi had the same tall build as a human, but with feline-like features.

Loud neighing could be heard from outside their elevated house. It was Dunmar, Lilik’s hefty pegasus. At the sound of her mount’s boisterous call, the brunette-haired girl shot up, eyes wide, automatically awake. Her glance shot over at Kallis.

“Oh, morning Kallis!” she called, hopping out of bed and shooting herself at Kallis, making hir practically fall over.

“Just get ready to go already…” Kallis mumbled, getting hir bearings, “all the classes will be over by the time you all get out of the house.”

The academy that the four went to was the unique and only academy in The Vale. It worked in unique ways for people unsure of what they want to pursue later in life, or they couldn’t find a mentor for an apprenticeship. Instead of having certain classes every day, there were bulletins scattered about the grounds, listing all of the classes and activities for that day.

Kallis looked over and saw Felix, Shera’s cat, wandering around the house. Kallis looked over playfully at Lilik, who smirked in agreement, and proceeded to grab Felix gently.

“Agh! I’m up, I’m up!” Shera cried as her cat landed on her chest, his claws unsheathed and poking through her nightdress. Her yellow-blonde hair messy from bedhead, she trudged up, and glared at Lilik, who was giggling loudly. Irritated, Shera flicked her hand outward, creating a blue ball of light, and shot it at Lilik. Lilik’s laughter stopped immediately, and ducked, the ball evaporating behind her. She stood up, adjusting her glasses.

Spirits of Taust

“So what’s the plan, then?” Myra asked, “we can’t exactly just go wandering into the rabbit tribe without a care in the world.” She scratched her claws against the dry dirt in anxiousness.

“We can’t go up to the leaders and inform them either,” Shade warned, “that would start an uproar we don’t need. The tribes would panic, and that could start needless bloodshed.”

“If we don’t do anything, Stone will win though!” Robin shouted angrily, “I’ve seen what he can do! Given the chance, he can and will kill her!”

“You’re all over thinking this,” Talon said nonchalantly, perched on Myra’s shoulder, “we’re not going to find some perfect solution. You’re putting too much weight on yourselves. Do you really think that four random animals who happened to bump into each other are going to miraculously solve the biggest catastrophe the tribes have seen in generations?”

Inseparable

(This one is a bit farther ahead than I hoped, but I edited this clip from as many spoilers as I could.)

“Beta, are you even listening to me?” he asked, trying to get his sister to face him, walking circles around her as she tried to avoid his gaze, “you’re being duped. Cheated. Lied to. They want you in their ranks to make them stronger. It’s not want you think it is.”

“You’re just jealous!” Beta burst out suddenly, after a wave of silence, “I can do whatever I want, okay?”

“Beta, please,” he mumbled, managing to look her in her anxious eyes, “we promised we would watch out for each other. That means trying to keep each other from making stupid decisions. There’s so many things going on behind the scenes. So many mysteries about ourselves we’re still trying to figure out.”

“These people know what’s going on. They could help us figure out what’s going on, don’t you see? I trust them.”

“And I don’t.”

Beta looked hurt, stepping back. “We’ve...we’ve never disagreed before, have we?”

“No,” Delta admitted, trying to coax his sister to listening, “maybe we’ve just seen this from the wrong perspective. There’s something suspicious going on...I’m surprised you didn’t see it. Come on, let’s go back to The Shack.” He lightly grabbed her arm, noting her gaze was away. As he started to pull her away, she glared and shoved his arm off. She said nothing, but kept her glare.

“Beta, what the-”

“No! I’m done with this,” she shouted, “I’m staying there. They...they have a place for me there. I’m sure they have space for you too, if you would just-”
“Beta!” he cried, “you would rather stay with them than me?”
“Now, I didn’t say that-” she started.

“No, that’s exactly what you’re saying,” he said, “just because you met one smiley face-”

“Shut up!” she argued, hands curling into fists.

“Beta, you’re being delusional. You’re coming back with me. I’m sorry.” Blinking away tears, his hands curled into fists.

Part of us knew we would fight one day. We just never saw it coming.

Project: Unnamed. Like seriously, it’s been a year. I need a title.

(Also just a note that I’m very unsure of names. In my earliest records of notes and drafts, I have the two girls as ‘Karren’ and ‘Rin’, but personally I feel as if having them both end in the ‘en’ sound might be unwise.)

“Okay, just be back soon, we still have to write out that chapter before midnight.” Karren called from the couch.

“Of course, dude!” Rin laughed, looking behind her as she opened the door, bag slung over her shoulder, “we haven’t missed our schedule in two years, and that was an actual emergency.”

“Being out of pizza rolls is a very important emergency, of course,” Karren rolled her eyes.

“Hey! Those are creativity fuel for both of us, and you know it!”

“Just pick up the snacks and outfits from the cleaners, and don’t stop for any book signings. There’s only one car, and I don’t want to ride our bike to fetch you gas.”

“Whatever, Karren!” Rin yelled out, half-listening, whamming the door behind.

Karren reached out her phone, starting Spotify and streaming it to the speakers, which reached all around the apartment. With her phone already in hand, she couldn’t help but start looking at Etsy. Before she could hit the favorite on a new Destiny Vale earring set, she heard loud shouting from outside her apartment, near the alley. Crouching down low, she looked out the window, and saw a burly group harassing a young college student. She watched as the student grabbed a can of pepper spray, but was shoved out of their hand. Karren tensed as she saw a gun. Standing up, she knew what she needed to do.

Didn’t think I would have to do this for something so close to home...literally.

She reached under the ottoman for a 5mm handgun.