Later that night, I returned to Shelly's room. As soon as she saw me, she pulled me in and closed the door. “What happened?”

“What do you mean?”

“Don't play coy with me. You have the look of someone who spent some time doe-eyed with a boy. Spill.”

“Marc and I kissed.”

“A four word sentence is insufficient. What did you say? What did he say? Where did he touch you?”

“He was a perfect gentleman. We kissed several time before getting dinner in the cafe. It was very wholesome.”

“Wholesome? What, no groping?”

“Not even once.”

See the thing to know about me, the one and only Eddie Russo is that I don't back down from a fight. I've never cared about picking fights I can win. 5 versus 1? Bring it. No one makes Eddie their bitch. Certainly not some hormone fueled teenager.

"Relax Murphy, I come in peace" Noah said as he approached our table. Turning to me, he added "You got me in a lot of shit yesterday"

"You only have yourself to blame" I replied snarkly.

"You're real mouthy knowing you boyfriend is going to protect you" he laughed at his statement which infuriated me.

"I don't want to talk about it" I sped up trying to get away from Murphy but he wasn't letting up.

He stepped in front of me, "Laura, what was that? What video was he talking about."

I don't know. That's what I wanted to scream but how could I explain to him why I didn't know what I clearly should know. I had never told anyone about me before, not like they would believe me anyway.

"I'm feeling overwhelmed right now" I said to him trying desperately to find a way out of the situation. "I'll tell you later okay? I promise"

I had to admit. Robert was right. It was a good idea to experiment alone. I will not describe what I did. It was familiar and yet completely different from anything I had done as a guy in that same bed. Shelly had had the wherewithal to have me buy bath products while we were out and I made use of them afterward. It was my first shower in this body and it too was eye opening.

That night in my room Minsha and I lay on the bed, she told me about her life, and I told her more about Earth. I now understood why Tagnor wore so little clothing, Minsha was hot. I would never freeze with her next to me. Her fur was soft, she let me feel it last night. I think we also made a good start to a great friendship. We may not have similar pasts, but we have similar ideas for the future.

When a mountain downpour forces Lydia and Thomas Thompson into a cavern's shadowy embrace, Lydia's touch upon ancient runic inscriptions awakens her latent power and identity. As they emerge to find the enigmatic town of Sælicbrook—a nexus of realms and magic—Lydia is transformed into her destiny as its guardian. But as the cosmic entity Nyarlathotep stirs, intent on unraveling the threads of reality, will Lydia's newfound power be enough to stand against an eldritch horror bent on devouring all? The battle for existence looms, and only the guardians of Sælicbrook can safeguard the world from the impending darkness. Will they triumph, or will everything they know be consumed by the infinite appetite of the Crawling Chaos?

When a mountain downpour forces Lydia and Thomas Thompson into a cavern's shadowy embrace, Lydia's touch upon ancient runic inscriptions awakens her latent power and identity. As they emerge to find the enigmatic town of Sælicbrook—a nexus of realms and magic—Lydia is transformed into her destiny as its guardian. But as the cosmic entity Nyarlathotep stirs, intent on unraveling the threads of reality, will Lydia's newfound power be enough to stand against an eldritch horror bent on devouring all? The battle for existence looms, and only the guardians of Sælicbrook can safeguard the world from the impending darkness. Will they triumph, or will everything they know be consumed by the infinite appetite of the Crawling Chaos?

The anticipation in the air was palpable as the Royal Transport approached the Queen's Spire. I stood in my armor, ready to fulfill my role in delivering the long-lost royal jewels to their rightful place. The helmet concealed my face, but I felt a mix of excitement and nervousness coursing through me.

RXAI-199 had informed me that my presence might draw a crowd as it had been millennia since the ship had crashed and lost communication with the Caravelle Empire. I couldn't help but wonder how the empire had evolved during that time and who might now be in charge.

I entered the pilot quarters, the first door on the left after leaving the bridge. The room was cozy, with dimmed lighting and a comfortable-looking bed. As I stepped inside, the door slid closed behind me, sealing me off from the rest of the ship.

It is a warm morning as I run through the desert. The sky is orange as the sun starts to rise over the horizon. The terrain was rough, scattered red step like escarpments disrupting the plains. Cacti and rocks scattered across the plains.

I was running out to my favorite rock tower, which is not popular among the tourist sites. I can visit without worrying about seeing another human. I do not know why this rock structure has such interest to me. It is not particularly special, but I feel drawn to this location.

Bonus scene! Bonus artwork! Bonus--well, it’s just those two things, actually. But that’s still pretty cool! After Fraylim got inspired to do some additional artwork for “Family Therapy,” I wanted a way to share it with you. So, to avoid undercutting the original story, I’m offering this as an “alternate ending.” Here, we see a young trans woman on the verge of an important decision as she muses on the unusual road that her life has taken, and the role that her father-turned-mother played in it...and may yet play in the future.

Diva Dismayed: Chapter 8 – Decision time

Cheong Sam
A Vignette
By Maryanne Peters

My grandfather fought in Vietnam. He was the same age as I am, when he was drafted. He said that he had long hair just like mine when he was called up. They ran the clippers over his head and left him with a quarter inch all over.

Our newly acquired vessel was currently being filled with essential provisions and ammunition, allowing Mir'tan and I the opportunity to indulge in some personal weapons shopping. As we strolled into the arms boutique, we marveled at the diverse assortment of weaponry - from tiny laser daggers to gargantuan shuttle-sized anti-personnel gear. Affectionately, I turned to Mir'tan with a tender voice and said, "Darling, you never cease to amaze me with your impeccable taste in destinations." We shared a heartfelt chuckle as I flirtatiously batted my eyelashes at her.

Eighteen-year-old Nicholas Hammerstein is at the cusp of finishing high school in his hometown of Los Alamos, NM. He has a seemingly ideal life and is blessed with loving parents, a cute baby sister, and great friends. Nicholas is a gifted student and martial artist who has dreams of leaving for college at the end of his senior year. But, living in a world of Emergent humans, he will soon find his life turned upside down as his life and the fate of a kingdom hang in the balance. His future and theirs will be determined by how he navigates the drastic changes in his body and the magical and superpowered Mergent population he joins.

Eighteen-year-old Nicholas Hammerstein is at the cusp of finishing high school in his hometown of Los Alamos, NM. He has a seemingly ideal life and is blessed with loving parents, a cute baby sister, and great friends. Nicholas is a gifted student and martial artist who has dreams of leaving for college at the end of his senior year. But, living in a world of Emergent humans, he will soon find his life turned upside down as his life and the fate of a kingdom hang in the balance. His future and theirs will be determined by how he navigates the drastic changes in his body and the magical and superpowered Mergent population he joins.

Eighteen-year-old Nicholas Hammerstein is at the cusp of finishing high school in his hometown of Los Alamos, NM. He has a seemingly ideal life and is blessed with loving parents, a cute baby sister, and great friends. Nicholas is a gifted student and martial artist who has dreams of leaving for college at the end of his senior year. But, living in a world of Emergent humans, he will soon find his life turned upside down as his life and the fate of a kingdom hang in the balance. His future and theirs will be determined by how he navigates the drastic changes in his body and the magical and superpowered Mergent population he joins.

Eighteen-year-old Nicholas Hammerstein is at the cusp of finishing high school in his hometown of Los Alamos, NM. He has a seemingly ideal life and is blessed with loving parents, a cute baby sister, and great friends. Nicholas is a gifted student and martial artist who has dreams of leaving for college at the end of his senior year. But, living in a world of Emergent humans, he will soon find his life turned upside down as his life and the fate of a kingdom hang in the balance. His future and theirs will be determined by how he navigates the drastic changes in his body and the magical and superpowered Mergent population he joins.