Rule one: Maintain proper hygiene at all times.

Within the confines of Alex's dorm room, the air was saturated with an atmosphere of opulence and refinement. The room, a shared space with Morgan, mirrored a lavish lifestyle marked by the trappings of beauty and sophistication.

As far as home was concerned, Hannah and I were as close as a couple could be. I was constantly worried that it might all end in tears, and I was regularly being told not to be a silly moo.

Micah Lavoric was not prepared to reap the consequences of what he had asked. There is little doubt that he expected his noble status to transfer, and to gradually become a treasured member of the Jenwise court. He did not anticipate the way they brought him to his knees and rendered him helpless. The way they made him to beg. It was not for the sake of cruelty you see, but rather for a purpose he did not understand and could not make comprehension of.
-Sage and Sane Page 387

What do you do when you look 7 years old, but you're actually a college student in your late teens? For Kathleen's entire life, she had fought against people treating her much younger than her actual age. Feeling obligated to grow up fast to show people she wasn't the age of her size, Kathleen never let her inner child out. Tired of fighting against the world, she explores the adult submissive world. What she finds, however, is an enjoyment of regression. Had she made a mistake? Would life be better if she just let people treat her how she looks, 7 years old?

Part Eight

Ike Kenniman was hosting a holographic conference among supers. Since many people were involved, teams had only their current leader - in most cases a chairperson - displayed. The participants were all established super teams - among them Tricorne and the Assembly - and a few individuals.

I'm posting this a little early as I have a solo story ready to post on the 25th. Not really Christmas themed but hopefully, a bit of feelgood for these dark grey days of December. The last part of this tale will appear on the 29th. [now back to the story]

Part Seven

Vic was back at the office - though still on restricted duty - the next day. She was almost fully healed; one of the benefits of regeneration. Her appetite was about back to normal as well.

CHAPTER 72
What other answer could I give, stunned as I was? I simply nodded, before saying “If you know me, my love, you know my answer. Right now, if you look at your clock, I need to sleep”

She sounded disappointed.

“Oh…”

One in the Morning, Five Miles from The Ranch:
Alya manages to guide her car onto the shoulder of the road, just as it stops running. She tries to restart it, but all she gets is a clicking sound each time she turns the key. She picks her cell phone up and notices it didn't charged while it was plugged into the power outlet. She listens as the rain starts pounding against the roof of her car.

“Great! What else could go wrong tonight?” As Alya sits there looking out through the windshield into the darkness.

Part Six

"Be wary of any politician who supports a position by claiming it's a matter of 'common sense,'" said Drake, wryly.

He and Vic were in his office at the Detroit Federal Building. He had called her in without explanation, and opened with that after she was seated.

"Is that appropriate to anything in particular or just a general bit of shared wisdom?" said Vic.

CHAPTER 23
The news was officially announced in an office meeting, and it was a little deeper than Betty had suggested. The boss was very clear in what the requirements of the posting would be. Yes, he did use that word.

“There’s been a lot of rubbish coming out about this one, so let’s put some of that silliness to bed. We are not going to be shipping lard and chip fat to Australia, no matter how wonderful Yorkshire lard products may be. We need the successful candidate to have an understanding of the processes involved, but that’s all. What we will be offering is much more along the lines of our management consultancy work”

The surviving pirates are shipped off and the camp begins to look settled. Late afternoon, Simbran and Eriana speak to the released captives, bringing them all up to date and offering options for their futures. The condition of the sick men still worries Ursula.

The Voyage of the Visund

A tale of Anmar by Penny Lane

84 - The Leaders Speak

Part Five

This particular Friday was turning out to be a bad day for Vic. Though not as bad as the early morning had been for some of Detroit's female, late teen inhabitants. Vic arrived at work to find a note already on her desk to see her boss.

"Tell me about your late night call, yesterday," said Drake.

"I was in bed, sound asleep, when I got an emergency call. The night manager of a bar downtown called 911 to say that a mind-controlling super was having his way with young women, and since supers were suspected to be involved the cops called me.

"What does an appeal for judicial reform mean to the monarchy?" King Richard asked.

Yes, that was how he began a conversation with his son. No 'hello', no 'how are you?'.

Didn't he even wonder where Nick had been all this time? He didn't seem to care. A lousy hug seemed enough for him and apparently Nick as well, because he too got right into answering the question.

Those doubts and uncertainties had not gone away when Sergei left the house to go into Reading the next morning. Almost as soon as he got to the railway station, he felt that something was wrong. Both the car park at the station and the platforms were almost empty.

Part Four

At the next Monday's weekly briefing the main topic was the current dearth of known hero supers available in most of the US. The explanations were valid, if annoying.

"The earthquake in Morocco is occupying supers who operate internationally, and storms in North America are keeping most of the teams who focus on the US busy," said Special Agent in Charge Drake. "We can make requests of Bureau headquarters for help, but the fact is that unless we have a major emergency, we're on our own."

"So, no change from the usual," said Cal Pavolin, sourly.

"Your name is Amelia" I repeated to myself as Nick and I descended the airplane steps. I clutched the small purse that held my phone plus a few other 'essentials' with a grip tight enough to turn my fingers blue.

"Your name is Amelia" I repeated again.

Absolutely nothing could have prepared me for Isidora's Hunger Games Capitol-looking outfit. Her designer either really loved frills or really didn't like her.

There was also so much pink it was almost blinding and for some reason known only to her, she'd decided to pair it all with some shade of blue lipstick. She looked more like an art project than a person.

And this person was supposedly the stylist?

"Who the hell is Prince Nicholas?" I screamed frantically at my friend to gain his attention.

I knew better than to disturb him while he played his video games but this was an emergency.

When his face turned white as a sheet of paper, I knew that name meant something to him. He paused his game and turned to me in horror.

"Where'd you hear that?" he asked in a panic.

The ongoing trials and tribulations of Ronin Kassius as he assumes the identity of Isabel val Sanreal and returns to Ar Telica City. Having survived the encounter with the Gun Queen of Ar Telica, Ronin returns to Ar Telica and begins his/her new dual life as Isabel val Sanreal, illegitimate daughter of the uber rich Sanreal Family, and as the Gun Princess, Mirai, an artificially created entity with preternatural abilities.

The Upper Valley Mall was a dream to Addy half the time. It was a little smaller when compared to the Fairfield Mall in Beavercreek, but it still had its charm, especially in the evening. Marble floors and high accent lights helped to bring out the best in the mall’s aesthetic, which included neon signs, kiosk displays, and even arcade games set up along the center of the mall’s main concourse.