Ursula finally gets to experience the city of Joth as she is taken to have her hair done. Afterwards, in the market, an opportunity presents itself... cue haste, confusion, desperation and sudden violence.

The Voyage of the Visund

A tale of Anmar by Penny Lane

14 - Street Life

Where’s my stockings ?

An AP-500 follow-on …. I was given an idea and here we are. AP

Time on My Hands

Chapter 45: 361-362 CE: The End of Alpes Graiae Et Poeninae

"Not only do I learn human languages, I can speak with all animals," Raben explained. "I use ravens as my eyes, I can see what they see, I can hear what they hear. They scout for us. In return we see they are fed and sheltered and we attend to any wounds they might suffer."

Needless to say the natives were quite unnerved by what Raben told them but the ravens did seem to be talking to him. Raben stayed ashore that night. The next morning all but 1 ship set out to scout the other islands. The natives were amazed as Raben answered their every question and they answered most of his. Each day more natives arrived until by the end of the third day they had a representative from every village present.

Lately I had actually enjoyed going to school. It had started when a group of documentary filmers had chosen our school to do a documentary about every-day high school life. This would be their fifth week here. The first week everyone tried to get their attention. They strongly discouraged that. Their goal was to be as unnoticeable as possible. Blending in into the background while filming with their carefully disguised cameras, as well as some fixed cameras. By the fourth week they had succeeded quite well. The students didn’t take more notice of them than they did of the poster for the Chess club’s next game in the state championships. Quite a pity, I had spent quite a lot of time making that poster.

So given that the film team wasn’t interested in any drama queens why did my best friend Phil come to school dressed as a girl?

In the near future, Andy is looking for a way to earn some money. He decides to go along with what appears to be a Nigerian scam. Things don't go as planned of course.

[This story is based upon a conversation I overheard the on the train to work in 2011].

“Hi Wendy. I’ve not seen you on this train for a while?”

“Oh, hi Kylie. Yeah, I’ve been at the branch in Slough for the past few months. I could drive there in twenty minutes from home. Now I’m working in Reading for the next six months. The assistant manager is off on maternity leave. So here I am on the commuter express that stops at every station!”

“How are your kids?”

“Davy is a real handful. All he wants to do is play football.”

A Tale of Two Kitties

By Dawn Natelle

During lunch break high school freshman Tom was sitting on a bench outside, reading a sports magazine (but with the edge of a Penthouse sticking up), alone as usual. Well, as usual as it could be the fifth day of term. Tom was not a popular boy. Small, ”dainty” and with golden locks that was rather longish. There really was nothing wrong with Tom except that he was terribly shy and new in town. He had lost his parents and the only relative was a cousin of his mother's. Matthew and Martha were considerably older than Tom’s parents but they considered taking care of Tom as their duty. Tom had all the material support he could wish for. However, they didn’t really care for him and since they never had had any children of their own they didn’t understand him at all. So the less he bothered them the happier they were.

Anyway Tom was sitting there ostentatiously reading a sports magazine featuring baseball. Tom was quite a good baseball player and had great hopes to get onto one of the junior teams. However, if you looked closer you could see the edge of a Penthouse sticking up behind the magazine. Not that Tom was interested in the pictures. Actually he found the sports magazine much more interesting and if he wanted to look at naked girls internet had an abundant supply and Matthew and Martha had no clue how to restrict his access. No, Tom had arranged the Penthouse very carefully to throw off any suspicions about what he had hidden behind the Penthouse. His real secret was much worse, something that absolutely NO ONE must know. Tom was totally absorbed by the latest “Thumping ❤❤, Broken ❤❤, ❤❤United” book, according to some the soppiest, most braindead romantic drivel ever written. Tom just couldn’t get enough of it.

Gaby Book 17 - Seasons

 
“So what is it this week, Gab?” Herr Thesing enquired.
“Thought we’d try chicken?”
“Okay, just change the meat like last week then?”

With everything going on last week our pie was mince, the meat variety.

Where does a planetary leader go for inspiration? Who do the leaders of an Empire turn to for advice? Who else, they turn to their mama.

“You did what?!” Leah said.

“It just happened, it was something silly”.

“It isn’t something silly anymore Dani”.

Leah came to sit next to me in bed.

“Have you thought about it? About how you feel? What this actions may reflect about you?”.

I didn’t want to answer, mostly because I really didn’t have an answer. It all just happened, and I enjoyed it, it was something I had just discovered and didn’t put much thought to it, when I did my mind got foggy and I got anxious.

“I… no… I haven’t” I said turning my head to the floor.

Time on My Hands

Chapter 44: 356-361 CE: The Raven Raiders Fight

For the 356 campaigning season, Julian linked up with the main body of the Gaul militia which involved a long march through country swarming with Alemanni raiding bands. Julian surprised and drove off a large Alemanni force that had surrounded Augustodunum {PD Autun} and defeated a raiding band in the wilderness. At Reims, Julian showed his boldness by deciding to deal with the Alemanni problem at the source by marching straight to Alsace and restoring Roman control of the Rhine. On the way his troops were ambushed. Nearly a quarter of his forces were destroyed by a large band of Alemanni but neither side emerged victorious. At Brotomagus {PD Brumath} in Alsace, Julian's forces routed another Alemanni band. After assessing the situation in Alsace, Julian decided that his force was insufficient to prevail over the Alemanni alone. Instead, he set out to recover Colonia Agrippina, leading his army via Augusta Trevorum to Roman-held Koblenz and then down the Rhine.

This is a sequel to “The Editors Dilemma”

https://bigclosetr.us/topshelf/fiction/47384/editors-dilema

The tale resumes at the Hotel in Cynthia’s room after Cynthia has poured a cup of tea for Jennie.

Jenny sat down totally stunned by the person who was in front of her.

“I don’t know what to say.”

Cynthia smiled.

“I know that both my manuscript and how I look now is a bit of a shock but this is me now. Oh, and the final three chapters of it are on the table.”

“Cynthia…?”

In the near future, Andy is looking for a way to earn some money. He decides to go along with what appears to be a Nigerian scam. Things don't go as planned of course.

“I’m going to HAVE to wear a bra! No way!”

“Stand up, Mike. And take your shirt off. ……… Well, that’s unusual.”
Some time later ……"NO, Mum. I’m never going to wear a bra. Never.”
“I’m not sure those, erm, chesty-things give you a choice!”

An AP-500 story