The Ghost

This is a special one, folks. I'm going to share a distilled version of myself. I am not editing this, I am just posting it in all of it's 2007-Crystal-Charee glory. I was going through my Google Drive, looking for old story ideas that I might have forgotten about. There were some "oh, yeah!" moments, but nothing like this. I don't remember coming up with this idea, or writing any of this, and I certainly never revisited it. But, I am proud. I'll let you enjoy and then come back with some final thoughts.

Note: I wrote this intro before fully reading this excerpt.

More Story Ideas

Okay, I was on a roll with a part four WIP of Cherie and Aura at The Atelier Cafe and then I didn't save my post properly, so I have to re-write it and now I'm questioning the whole thing, so fuck it. I'm just going to record some more story ideas when I can concentrate again.

Last time, I described:
Ice, Queen of Summer

A Thousand Auras

Britney the Dwarf Queen

Beverlee Hills Mummy

Beware the False Moon

This time, let's start with:

Subs & Normies -- Pre-Rift Era -- Coral is a mermaid born with legs instead of a tail and no gills. I think at first, I was describing it as a genetic anomaly, and it is, but I think we're going to go with evolution. Merfolk evolved out of fish, and Coral is the next step but right now it's super rare. Literally one in a million. Anyway, if her issue sounds familiar, it's because you already read about Aura (of A Thousand Auras). I actually came up with Coral way earlier and Aura was born out of wondering what would happen to a baby born without gills and with legs instead of a tail if their mother didn't have the resources to take care of it. 

Anyway, I've never really figured out Coral's story, which is why I talk about Aura more. But I'll tell you what I know. Coral is a princess. Because she has no gills, she uses a mouthpiece to breathe underwater, and grew up expressing herself through sign language. As an adult, she works with deaf merchildren. 

When she was born, her parents set her up with a little cottage in a bubble under the sea, with a human nanny. As she grew, she spent plenty of time in the palace, wearing a prosthetic tail, playing with her siblings (I forget how many, I think it was like twelve or something). I think she was initially supposed to be super emo about being different, but I think she just becomes aware of other kids and people who are different, which is why she works with deaf merchildren.

My initial storyline had to do with an evil fiance who is trying to kill her -- or seem like he's trying to kill her. I can't remember. And she had an evil sister, which I don't think I'm going to keep. Basically, what happened was, I wanted an exciting way to start a story, so I had her racing through her little village to get home before her mouthpiece stopped working entirely. But then, I was like, okay, what if this is something that keeps happening because someone is tampering with her breathing things?

Another part of her story was her mouthpiece malfunctioning, her spares are not working either, and she almost dies but Lush saves her. Anyway, there was some royal conspiracy thing supposed to be happening, but I never really developed that idea because I didn't find it as interesting as I wanted to. I think I'm more interested in relationships than politics, and also I used to believe in meritocracy, so anyone could be rich as kings if they worked hard enough. The reason I stopped making princesses the main characters in all of my stories is because I grew up and am now disgusted by classism and colonialism.

Anyway, another part of Coral's story is that she ends up being a nanny in Connecticut for a deaf six-year-old. Her mother just died and the story is a slow-burn romance between Coral and the kid's dad. The concept kind of makes me gag now that I know more about grief, but if I make it slow burn enough, and incorporate the mother as an actual character, I think I can live with it. And, no, I can't just make the mother a deadbeat a) because I am a feminist and b) because I have a short story I tried to write once called Spotted Tom about the mom's twin brother who is grieving his sister and I really want to tell that story.

Since I have been developing Aura's story with The Rift and everything, I think that I want to make Coral a part of that story. She has a connection to Lush and to royalty, so if I make Coral's parents one of the four parties that is fighting to blow the world into four mini-planets, then we'll be closer to the action. And we can have Coral's parents be kind to her and still really selfish and greedy like all royalty.

Initially, I was going to have all four parties be anonymous rich assholes, but now The King from Beverlee Hills Mummy is one, and if Coral's parents are another, that makes for some more fun worldbuilding than evil strangers. I don't think I have any other characters who are this evil, but I might be able to develop some. Cherry from The Incorruptible Man would be an interesting choice. I'll try to talk about that story in this blog post so that you'll know who I'm talking about. I haven't mentioned that story on this blog yet.

The Incorruptible Man -- Pre-Rift -- Okay, this is a love story between a con artist (Tracy) and her mark, Fred. Tracy is leaving a toxic relationship (not abusive, he's just married) and looking for a new mark to distract her from her broken heart. She's going through a Google spreadsheet that she and her con artist contacts keep updated and comes across a man's name with a million dollars (fluid amount, I'll probably change this) as his net worth and an asterisk next to his name.

The asterisk leads to a note calling him The Incorruptible Man. Apparently, he's never been involved in con that involves him doing anything shady like the Pigeon Drop or Insider Trading. He's also never fallen for a love con because he's still simping over his dead wife. He, however, has been victim of multiple cons that rely on a soft heart and a trusting nature. And, if anyone ever approaches him with an honest request for help, he'll never refuse them. The note says that he can be used for an emergency but never to take more than $5k because he can easily recover from that.

Tracy is more curious than anything else. She wants to meet this man and see if he's as incorruptible as he's described. He is. He is the best man. I would marry him if he were real and I was capable of love. It's an age-gap relationship, which could be gross, but he gives her so many orgasms that I forgive him. It's a highly erotic story, very different from what I usually write. And, initially, I thought it would be platonic, but then I thought, what would it take for me to not be grossed out by them as a couple? And the answer was, her initiating, him being a genuinely good person, and him being a very generous lover. 

When Tracy tracks him down, she finds that his house, garage, and boat are all full of uninvited house guests. Not fair, they were invited. They invited themselves. Tracy's kicks everybody out (helps them find other places to go), cleans his house, and cooks him dinner (they've already fucked). 

For his part, Fred really misses his dead wife, Janice. He briefly married his wife's best friend but that was out of shared grief and ended amicably. He barely remembers that he was even married to Eve, usually only when someone else brings it up at a cookout or something. He finds Tracy attractive because she's hot and cool, but isn't really expecting anything when she asks to stay over. A lot of people stay over. She initiates sex, and he's a little touch-starved. He ends up being so over-enthusiastic with the oral sex for her that they both forget about him before falling asleep. 

He goes to work the next day, expecting her to be gone when he gets home. (As if she would, after six or seven really good orgasms. Like, REALLY good ones. All of them.) When he comes home to beef stew bubbling on the stove and a clean, empty house, he's conflicted. The reason he lets people stay with him is out of generosity, but also out of loneliness. 

And he's not an easy mark because he's stupid, he usually knows when people are lying to get money. But if he has it, and the other person seems to need it, he's willing to give it, whether they ask honestly or not. He has a policy of never loaning money, only giving it (This is based on a rule my mom gave me. She said friendships get weird when one person owes another money. So, if you have it to give an never expect it back, give it. If you need them to repay you, you can't afford to loan it. I'll probably have his mom be based on mine.)

Regarding plot, Tracy's on the run from a bad relationship, but she was already on the run from her old madam, Cherry, who she met after running away from home. Cherry and Tracy are only a few years apart, but Cherry was already a madam when she met Tracy. Cherry taught Tracy house to con as well as how to trick. Cherry can be charming but she's incredibly controlling and when Tracy wanted to leave to start a normal life with a nice young gentleman, Cherry stole all her money and slept with her boyfriend (to prove that men ain't shit. It proved to Tracy that Cherry wasn't shit).

She left to trick and con on her own, and Cherry has tracked her down several times, always with jobs that Tracy can't afford to refuse. She leaves a cherry blossom as her calling card because she's a psycho. In this story, Cherry finds out where Tracy is, kidnaps Fred and holds him for ransom. Tracy, who has been building a real life for the very first time in her life, is pissed. 

She has an ace up her sleeve. The way she rescues Fred and earns her freedom is by telling Cherry that she knows Cherry's real name. She knows where Cherry was born, and about her brother who is in a very expensive home. Cherry is shaken, but Tracy isn't done. Tracy is not Tracy's real name, even though it's the one that she gave Cherry when they met. Tracy had stolen the identity of a person who looked like and was close enough in age, but was otherwise unrelated. And the way that she came across the identity would make Tracy's real identity untraceable. (The reader will already know this. I hate twists that the POV character knows about but keeps secret from the reader until the pivotal moment. It always feels like a betrayal.) 

Tracy takes Fred, and leaves. The story ends a few months later, with a cherry blossom left on her doorstep. This time, Tracy knows, that Cherry is asking for help, not demanding it. I'm not sure I'm going to make that clear. Maybe have it on top of a stack of cash, the same amount Cherry stole all those years ago, or ten times that amount because Cherry's whole deal is making sure that people pay ten times more than what they ever stole from her.

This was an initially going to be a standalone book not related to any of my more fantastical stories, and it still will be. Cherry is the villain in this story, but not a main character, so she'd either get her own story or just be a minor character in The Rift storyline. I like the idea of Cherry being one of the people behind The Rift because that means I've figured out three of four.  Who should be the fourth? I'm trying to think of rich assholes that I've already created, but most of my stories don't have actual villains, just obstacles.

Also, I forgot to mention, but Cherry has her own romance going on, throughout the story with one of her bodyguards. It's a totally different vibe to Fred and Tracy (BDSM where as Fred and Tracy are gourmet vanilla) but just as erotic. Cherry is a horrible person but not entirely unsympathetic. I don't think she gets a happy ending, but she will get some happy moments.

Echo of Magic -- Pre-Rift -- Addy is a princess with one major enemy:  her twin sister Echo who slipped out, fell to the floor, and slid under the bed while they were being born. Her cries are mistaken as an echo of Addy's. She grows up, blending into the other palace children and being mistaken for Addy, usually doing something wrong, like sneaking food from the pantry or wearing rags or otherwise trying to exist. One day, the real Addy gets punished instead of her. Echo feels bad but also kind of good. So, she does it on purpose.

Addy gains the reputation with the castle staff and her parents and the entire kingdom as being a troublemaker who never takes responsibility. Addy's only friend is a frog named Seymour who resides in one of the castle ponds. He's in disguise until he's old enough to be married, and he and Addy plan, for years, to marry. On the wedding day, Echo ties up Addy and takes her place. 

Growing up, Addy and Echo are frenemies, often trying to get along but one child's selfishness or mistake gets blown out of proportion. By the time they're adults, they actively hate each other. Addy is good and Echo is bad, but everyone thinks that Addy is bad and that Echo doesn't exist because Echo refuses to show herself. 

Seymour is friends with both and often councils them both to grow up. Although he loves Addy as a friend, he does (to his shame) fall in love with Echo. He intends to marry Addy, but one their wedding day, when Echo ties up Addy and takes her place, Seymour marries Echo. She kisses him and he turns human. Echo finally makes her real identity known, and the entire palace and kingdom is immediately apologetic to both princesses, showering them with affection.

Echo's suffering is soothed and she tries to make up with Addy, but now, Addy is pissed. She can't believe that Echo has been torturing her for her entire life and the response of the entire kingdom and her parents is to welcome Echo with open, forgiving arms. Their apologies don't mean much when she sees her enemy being so embraced, so she leaves the kingdom.

My original short story ended with the kiss and Echo marrying Seymour. When I thought about making it longer, I had Addy go out and try to figure out why magic is disappearing from the kingdom, only to find that it's disappearing from the world. She has her own love interest, but she has to learn to love herself before she can love him. 

I think that, maybe, now that I have lush (see Worldbuilding) as my magic system for all of my other stories, I can use it here and have the reason magic is disappearing is because the avatar is taking it all back from humans who have been abusing it. So, rather than having her restore the magic, she learns to live without it, and maybe helps other people do so, as well? 

For Echo to have survived being punted around the floor after being born and not being fed and stuff, she must have had to rely on lush to survive, so having it disappearing from the world permanently makes her sick or weak or something. Actually, what if Addy's quest was given to her by her parents and Addy agrees publicly but privately decides to find out where the magic is going in order to prevent it from returning, permanently? Then, when she realizes that it really is gone forever, she feels petty and returns to help Echo adjust.

I always intended for the girls to reconcile and go on their own adventure together. So many of my villains are based on my cousin who I loved once but who turned into a sadistic nightmare (Ahmose, Cherry, Echo). Addy is based on me, that's why she's so good the whole time. I never turned evil because I didn't want to prove to my cousin that she was right to hate me, that there was some secret evil in my heart that only she could detect, but that meant that being good always felt performative, and Addy was my chance to explore that aspect of myself. What is goodness? What is authenticity? Do you have to be perfect, in order to deserve love? That kind of stuff. Losing my mom answered a lot of those questions, for me. 

For one thing, I figured out that when other people were in pain, it was my instinct to help, not hurt. For another, I realized that choosing to perform goodness was a reflection of the kind of person I was, not just wanted to be. And, my mom was far from perfect. She was capable of great cruelty and great generosity, and when she died, I would have sold my soul to The Devil just to be able to experience three more seconds in her presence. (In fact, it was The Devil never showing up that sped me along the road to Agnosticism. That, and Jesus not showing up.) All that to say, no, you don't have to be perfect in order to be loved. Regarding deservingness, I've been loved and hated without deserving either, so "deserve" is a nonsense word to me, now.

Anyway, I have no idea what their adventure would be. In real life, my cousin stayed evil, and even got worse, so I no longer have any hope of reconciliation and don't even know what that would look like. It would be fun to explore a universe in which a character ruled by jealousy and greedy was able to reform, though. I could explore the relationship I always hoped to have with her.

The Atelier Cafe -- Cherie and Aura WIP Part 3

Cherie waved goodbye to Abe and Marilyn as they exited the Atelier Cafe, located in the heart of the Eiffel Tower, and nowhere at all. The bell on the door jingled twice as Cherie swiped at the counter with a dish rag, powering it down for the day. 

A moment later, the doorbell jingled again. Cherie looked up, frowning. A teenage girl entered. She was of slim build, with shiny, straight brown hair. She wore a blue-and-gray argyle cardigan paired with a poofy, leopard-print skirt.  A pair of oversized black steel-toed hiking boots completed the ensemble, along with stacks of colorful bracelets and necklaces that jangled and chimed as she moved. 

She paused just inside the doorway, looking around the dim, empty diner. It was a small room, ten-by-ten, with three round tables that each had a pair of chairs perched under them. The tablecloths were blue gingham, and each table had a small vase of spring flowers in the middle of it along with a sugar shaker and a little cup of toothpicks. The counter took up one entire wall, with a swinging door that supposedly led to a kitchen but actually led to nowhere. "Are you open?" the girl asked, doubtfully. 

Cherie hesitated, and then smiled warmly. "We just closed, but I haven't powered down the coffee maker yet," she said. That was a lie, but a simple clockwise swipe at the counter powered everything up again, including the lights and music.

The girl smiled. "Is that Taylor Swift?" she asked.

Cherie nodded. She was a Swiftie. Ninety percent of the music in her cafe was just musical versions of Taylor Swift songs done with full orchestra. As the girl approached the counter, this version of "I Know Places" hit a single harp glissando while soft timpani rolled beneath delicate, tiptoeing violin notes and a low clarinet hum. 

"What is this place?" she asked. "And was that Abe Lincoln and Marilyn Monroe I saw outside?"

This girl was full of surprises. First of all, nobody aside from Abe and Marilyn entered or exited through the door. They were summoned by Cherie and just appeared at whichever table she wanted them at. Cherie had not summoned this girl. Second, the girl was surprised but not shocked at seeing two dead human celebrities leaving the establishment, dressed as a waitress and a busboy. Third, she hadn't blinked when the lights and music had come on, as though by magic.

"It's a liminal space," Cherie answered.

"A liminal space," the girl said. "What's that?" She paused, then before Cheri could answer added, "I wanted a place that doesn't really exist in a specific time or place, where I could just think for as long as I needed to," she said. "Is that what a liminal space is?"

"Close enough," Cherie said. "How did you get here?"

"Lush," the girl answered, simply. She gestured toward her ears, where two gold studs gleamed in her ears. "I've had them since I was a baby, and if I think of a place I want to be, I can just go there." 

"Neat," Cherie said. What the girl called 'lush' was a collection of microscopic psychic supercomputers that clung together like magnets. They responded to thought and could be manipulated like clay. They could take on the properties of anything from living flowers to plastic building blocks to cooked food. Lush's entire cafe was made of lush. She used it to call people to her from other worlds, but she'd never imagined using it to take her to other places. Then again, as an agoraphobe, of course she wouldn't.

The girl grinned. "It used to freak my mom out. She just thought that I was magical because she adopted me from a mermaid and mermaids don't exist in our world -- I mean, they're supposed to be mythical." She glanced down. "I was born with legs and no gills, so my birth mom couldn't take care of me." The girl shot her hand out. "Sorry, I'm Aura. And you're Cherie?"

For a moment, Cherie was taken aback again. Had the girl's earrings told her that? No, Cherie's nametag had. Cherie mentally rolled her eyes at herself before shaking the girl's -- Aura's hand. "Nice to meet you," she said. She couldn't remember the last time she'd ever meant a word of that polite phrase, but this girl was...different. Interesting. Uninvited, but not unwanted.

Cherie had never had anyone come to the cafe of their own volition, and she never realized how lonely it was to always choose her company, but never be chosen as company. Then again, Aura had come, looking for a place to think, not for Cherie, specifically. She eyed the girl. "Were you looking for a place to be alone?" she asked.

Aura blinked, and thought. "I guess I hadn't imagined being able to talk to anyone about this, so I wasn't imagining anyone." She frowned. "You're not AI, are you? You don't seem like -- I mean, I've only met one avatar, but you seem more --"

Cherie took advantage of Aura's awkward pause long enough to answer. "I'm human. I'm from the only universe whose technology ever advanced enough to create what you call lush."

Aura's eyes grew wide. "Wow. What was the difference between your universe and the rest of them?"

Cherie hesitated. "Do you know anything about communism?"

Aura shrugged. "Just that you have to stand in line for bread."

Cherie laughed. "Yeah, that's what I thought. So, in a nutshell, communism is the idea that the world is better when people work together, share resources, and everyone has enough to live comfortably. A lot of politicians like to pretend to be communists and end up being fascists, where the rich have the most and the poor don't even have what they need. 

Anyway, on my world, everyone is equally valuable, so everyone grows up with adequate food, shelter, clothing, and access to education. And since there are no such things as patents or copyrights, everyone has the ability to build on technology that already exists. So, a society that values education and innovation, where every single person in the population who has the potential to create great art or technological advancements, can."

Aura looked impressed. "I'd be interested to visit that world." She tugged at an earlobe, blinked and focused back on Cherie. She looked shy. "If that's okay?"

Cherie laughed. "We don't get many visitors, but yes. We like sharing our knowledge with people from other universes. We're pretty proud of it. Back when the supercomputers were newer, we shared them with neighboring universes, but it ended up being another type of currency and threatened to cause so much more oppression than would be there naturally. We --" she paused and grinned. "I say we like that includes me, but this was thousands of years before I was born -- anyway, people in my world ended up creating facilities one each version of Earth for hundreds of universes, where an AI avatar could determine when the knowledge of lush would be beneficial to the people there, and in those cases, reveal it to the population."

Aura thought for a moment. "That makes sense. The avatar that I met -- her name is Lush -- she lives in a giant underwater mountain." She paused, frowning. Then she sighed, heavily. "I wonder if that's why she sent me to you. I have a decision to make."

Cherie was surprised. "How could I help?"

Aura sighed heavily again. Her golden tiger eyes were clouded with worry or weariness. Or both. "My world in one-of-a-kind, too, but in a bad way," she said, sadly. "According to Lush, there are many universes where bad people get a hold of lush but my world is the only one that is about to be blown apart."

"Whoa. What do you mean?"

Aura scrubbed at her face with her hands and then leaned heavily on the counter. Immediately, a stool popped up next to her. She looked at it for a moment, bemused, and then sat down. Elbows on the counter, chin resting on one hand, she was quiet for another moment. Then she took a deep breath. "In my universe, there are four really evil people who are hoarding lush, drilling down into the Earth so that they can cause a rupture that will cause the Earth to split into four mini planets." She shook her head, as though she couldn't believe how stupid the concept was to her.

Cherie had to agree. "What? What about the atmosphere? Amongst other things...."

Aura nodded, rolling her eyes in exasperation. "Exactly!" She shook her head. "But that's what they want to do. They think that there will be enough lush for each mini planet to maintain its own atmosphere, but they're all idiots!" She broke off, breathing hard, her face pinkening with disgust. "They've calculated all wrong. There's not enough lush create an atmosphere for each small planet.  Also, there are people living where they want to create the cracks through the entire Earth, but they call it 'acceptable losses' --" here, she used her fingers to create air quotes, "because it's all people they don't know or care about. Not to mention the affect on merpeople, who they don't even know about and other aquatic life and a million other things they haven't even thought of!" 

She stood and paced the small cafe, chairs and tables moving out of her ways so that she could stalk in peace. She didn't even notice. She took a scrunchie out of the pocket of her sweater, and pulled her hair into a ponytail. Then she took the ponytail out, smoothed her hair, and tried again. After three attempts, she seemed satisfied, and her frantic pacing slowed down. She returned to the counter, hopped up on the stool, and then plopped her forehead down onto the counter.

Cherie watched all of this, bemused. She'd had no idea that there was a universe in this dire of a situation. This would definitely be something the people back home would know about, but she hadn't been in contact for hundreds of years. They'd only ask her about the novel. She pulled up her own stool and sat, watching the girl. She wanted to help, but she had no idea how. Why would an AI avatar have sent the girl here?

Aura's shoulders moved with each breath, and once her breathing had slowed enough, she took one deep breath, pulled herself up, and then propped herself up again, elbows on the counter. She looked so helpless, that Cherie wanted to give the girl a hug.

"Is there anything that can be done?" Cherie asked. 

"Yes," Aura said, glumly. "That's the worst part." She dropped her arms and her head returned to the counter.

Cherie stared at the girl for a moment, non-plussed. Then she remembered that she ran a cafe. Something -- lush, as Aura called it -- told her that the girl was a hot chocolate connoisseur, so Cherie mentally ordered the girl one in a large mug, specific to the girl's tastes with just a hint of cinnamon and topped with a fluffy layer of whipped cream (and sprinkles). Then she divined the girl's untapped taste for cheese cherry danishes, and pulled a fresh, warm one out of the toaster oven. She set the food and drink in front of the girl. The dishes would keep them at the perfect temperature, so the girl could take her time.

When the girl raised her head again, she looked so miserable that Cherie had to wonder what she was being called upon to do that could possibly be so bad. Then, she had to smile as the girl, distracted from her misery by the unexpected treats took a sip of the hot chocolate and closed her eyes, worry melting away into an expression of pure bliss.

Cherie had grown up in a world where lush was plentiful. She'd never eaten a bad meal or worn a piece of clothing that made her too hot or too cold. She'd never slept in a bed too hard or too soft. And she'd never felt unappreciative of these facts, but she'd never felt appreciative of them, either. Until she'd come to the cafe and met people from other worlds. They didn't even know to be horrified by the worlds they came from, by the discomfort and indignity that greed had built for them.

After she finished her treats, Aura stared at nothing for a while, then she seemed to return to her body. She looked at Cherie. "According to Lush, mine is the only universe where this is an issue. Which is a good thing because the solution -- her solution --" she paused, as though wanting to make sure Cherie knew that the solution wasn't Aura's idea. When Cherie nodded, again bemused, Aura continued. "Is to pull all of the lush that exists from every world, including her origin universe -- and yours, I guess," she added, looking guilty. "Your world would be able to replenish, over time, obviously, because you know how to make the lush," she added hastily. She averted her gaze. "But all of the existing lush would be gone, to keep the mini planets from becoming space junk."

Cherie considered the implication of Aura's words. At first, it didn't sound so bad. Lush was a luxury, not a necessity. Expecially in her universe, where the denizens hadn't destroyed the ozone and created a trash heap out of every ocean, it would still be hospitable. She wondered how it would affect other worlds? Even ones that didn't know about lush still had lush floating around; its AI avatar monitoring and quietly helping when it wouldn't risk detection.

She tried to imagine thousands of universes scraped of all of the small pieces of comfort and safety that lush provided. It would be interesting to see how that would change the people who would come into the cafe. And then, like a bolt of lightening that lasted a million years, Cherie realized that there would be no more cafe. She'd have to return home, a failure. The novel unwritten, and aside from a few pathetic attempts, not even really started. Her family's kind acceptance -- her gorge rose, and she had to choke down her fury at what she was being robbed of.

All of the sudden, she hated the sweet, anxious face of the teenage sitting across from her. She wanted to reach back into the girl's stomach and retrieve every particle of the perfect hot chocolate, every crumb and morsel of the pastry. She wanted to shove the girl out of the door of her cafe, out of existence. She hated the girl more than she'd ever hated another person. This girl had just stolen everything from her, and from the look on her face, she knew it. And she hadn't done it to just Cherie, she'd done it to everyone who'd ever come to rely on lush in any capacity.

"That's the decision you have to make?" Cherie said. Her voice was cold and sounded like it was coming from miles away. She could feel her lips moving, but hadn't intended to speak. "Whether to save your universe or make every other universe slightly worse?" She couldn't even feel her lips anymore. "Doesn't seem like much of a question."

Aura looked like she wished she could disappear. Which was funny, because her wishing was what had brought her here in the first place. The absurdity of the thought snapped Cherie back to herself. Of course the girl had to save her universe. Cherie's stupid novel, the human lives that had already been sacrificed in justification of it, it was never going to happen, wouldn't have happened if Cherie had stayed here for another thousand years. Cherie had always been a fraud. And, of course, the fate of every single human on an entire planet was more important than Cherie's hobby. It was an easy choice. She didn't understand why Aura was agonizing over it, unless there was something Cherie didn't know.

But Aura seemed to be at a loss for words. Cherie realized that she'd stood, knocking her stool over. She righted it, and sat back down. She tried not to think about losing the cafe, having to return home. She focused on the girl. "What am I missing?" she asked, her voice shaken, but warmer than before. She waited.

"I don't think you understand," Aura said, staring at the countertop. "Lush takes up 0.00000002% of the Earth's crust give or take tiny percentages depending on which universe it's in. Your world would be the most impacted, initially, because pretty much everything is made by lush, and even if we only took the excess -- lush created but not in current use -- your world would recover in about six months."

Cherie relaxed. She felt bad about her earlier temper flare. "What about the other worlds? Your world?"

Aura nodded gravely, still contemplating the veining of the granite in front of her. "My world would rely entirely on lush to keep the mini-planets together, so there would be no excess, but in a way, we'd be luckier than most. The surrounding universes would all deal with a pollution crisis. Some worlds will recover, some will have sped up climate change to disastrous degrees."

What Aura wasn't saying was the Cherie's world was as close to a communistic utopia as was capable of sustaining itself while keeping in mind that people will people. There was probably the same percentage of greedy people on Cherie's home world as Aura's, but they were not the loudest or most powerful part of the population. The reason Cherie's world would recover quickly had to do with the sense of cooperation that its citizens had ingrained and encouraged within them. Pollution had never been a problem in Cherie's world, other than as a theoretical future that was to be avoided. 

Universes similar to Cherie's would recover the most quickly, universes closer to Auras would likely never recover. That meant that removing lush was essentially dooming billions of people to die prematurely, being born to a less livable environment, or not being born at all -- and that was across an untold thousands of universes.

"So," Cherie said slowly, digesting this information. "No immediate deaths, but an immediate and devastating loss of quality of life, and irrecoverable impact on the entire population."

Aura looked up and nodded. A hint of relief edged at the devastation on her face. She was still faced with a terrible choice, but no longer alone. It was unfair, the weight of the decision on this girl's shoulders. No matter what she chose, she would be causing annihilation. Except that, no she wasn't. The girl's choice wasn't who to destroy, it was who to save. She hadn't created this situation. Hadn't hoarded lush for her own means, hadn't chosen her own power and greed over the lives of billions across world after world after world. 

"My world," she said, sorrow making her voice slow and deep, "is the only one that actually chooses to destroy itself. So, does it deserve to live?"

She asked Cherie as though Cherie could answer that. "But your world didn't choose that, did it?" she asked. "A few assholes on your world did." 

Aura's eyes widened at the language, but after a moment, she nodded. "And it was really close in other universes," she said, almost hopefully. "And I'd want to help those worlds if they were the ones --" she broke off, sighing. 

"Do you want to duel?"

Aura cocked her head like a curious kitten. 

"Like, sword fight," Cherie said, waving her arms in a parody of swashbuckling. She thought at a pile of raw lush under the counter and pulled out two swords.

Aura stood, stepping back, eyes wide. "What?" She recovered, quickly, laughing. "Why?"

Cherie, glad to have snapped the girl out of her lethargy, slid one sword across the counter. "Well," she said, "I don't want to give up my cafe for six months, so I'll fight you for it. If I win, your planet explodes and everyone dies." She ignored the girl's flinch. "And if you win, you get to save your dumb little mini planets."

Aura frowned at the sword and then at Cheri. "But --"

"You're not trying to decide what to do," Cherie said, almost harshly. "You're here to be absolved of deciding. So, pick up your sword and be absolved."

Aura looked hurt, then thoughtful. Then, her cat eyes glimmered with sudden humor. "Alright," she said, letting the weight of decision slide off of her shoulders. She reached for the sword, measured it's weight, and stepped back a few paces so that Cheri could join her.

Cherie, surprised, realized that this wouldn't be the girl's first sword fight. She mentally shrugged. It wouldn't be hers either. Cherie held the sword, letting her fingers curl around the hilt, feeling the weight, feeling the history of motion it carried. She was calm, almost eerily so, but inside, her blood was buzzing. This wasn’t a friendly duel, not really. If she did it right, it would be a true test, forcing Aura to put some commitment behind the choice she'd already made before stepping foot into her cafe.

Cherie took a slow step forward, deliberately light, the sword held loosely at her side. Aura didn’t move. Cherie lunged—pivoting on one heel, the cafe beneath her feet shifting subtly as lush responded to her thoughts. The blue-gingham tables melted into twisted tree trunks; the walls sprouted leafy vines, flowers blooming in impossible colors that smelled faintly of cinnamon and coffee.

Aura shifted, sword raised, eyes flicking between Cherie and the changing environment. Cherie moved again, stepping onto the trunk of a thick, flowering vine, the sword swinging in a slow, deliberate arc that could have been deadly—or could have been a taunt. Aura mirrored her, stepping onto a vine of her own, and Cherie could see the hesitation in her movements. That hesitation was dangerous.

Cherie leapt, vaulting over a fallen tree—lush blossoming beneath her as if to cushion the fall—and swung down in a wide arc. Aura rolled under the swing, sword coming up just in time, and Cherie felt the spark of lush energy as their blades collided. The clang wasn’t musical; it was urgent, a physical echo of all the worlds that hung in the balance.

Cherie’s heart pounded. She could feel her own anger bubbling—the rage at the universe threatening to steal the cafe, at it choosing this child to bear the weight of the responsibility—and she let it fuel her. Every movement became sharper, faster, more unpredictable. Aura had to react; she had no choice.

Another lunge, another roll, another leap—and Cherie let the forest reshape itself again. Now the trees were tall and thin, twisting into ladders, vines looping like swings. Chairs had reformed into boulders, tables into fallen logs. Aura adapted, leaping from one vine to the next, sword held at just the right angle, but Cherie could see the strain. She was trying to keep the fight clean, precise She didn't want to hurt Cherie.

Cherie’s voice cut through the rustling of lush leaves: “You think this is a game, don’t you? You’re here to choose life or death for billions, and you’re still hesitating.”

Aura froze. Cherie saw the hesitation in Aura’s eyes, and it was like a match to dry kindling. She pushed off a thick vine, vaulting over a cluster of twisted tree trunks that had once been tables. Leaves and petals scattered into the air, brushing Cherie’s face as she landed on the opposite side. The lush under her boots rippled, softening her landing but also bending unpredictably, making her roll and pivot mid-motion just to keep her balance.

Aura didn’t flinch. She leapt from the nearest trunk, swinging her sword in a wide arc, narrowly grazing Cherie’s shoulder. Sparks of lush energy flickered along the blades, dancing like fireflies, illuminating the surreal forest around them. Cherie’s heart pounded.

Cherie was not a kind woman. The cafe was build for showdowns like this, although she usually observed, rather than participated. With a push of her will, the forest shifted violently—the trunks bent into arches, creating a tunnel that funneled Aura toward her. Vines shot up from the ground like ropes, swinging and looping, forcing Aura to dodge or vault over them. Cherie darted along the edges, slicing through one vine just as Aura twisted midair to avoid it.

Aura’s golden eyes widened, and Cherie saw the strain in her movements. The girl had the skill—but she was still defending. Cherie needed her to attack. The girl had billions of lives in her hand, no matter which choice she made, and she couldn't carry that weight in a weak grip. Cherie pressed the advantage, leaping from a hanging vine, landing in a crouch on what had become a giant mushroom-like platform, sword poised. She swung low, forcing Aura to somersault backward over a blossoming tree. The collision of lush energy sparked a miniature aurora, petals and leaves swirling in impossible patterns around them.

Cherie felt a rush of pure, volatile exhilaration. The cafe—the forest—the fight—it all bent to her anger, to her need to make Aura see the stakes. She didn’t just move; she commanded the environment. The trunks shifted, becoming jagged bridges; fallen logs rotated to become springboards. Aura adapted beautifully, but Cherie could see the hesitation in her rhythm. 

Aura’s landing wasn’t perfect. She stumbled slightly on a vine that arched into a railing, giving Cherie the tiniest opening. With a sprint, Cherie launched herself off a thick root, spinning midair, blade pointed at Aura’s side—but didn’t strike. She let it hover there, tip barely brushing Aura’s shoulder.

"Maybe I should have mentioned this earlier, but if you die in a liminal space, you're really dead." She was sure Aura already knew this, but hadn't realized how serious Cherie was. She was willing to kill the girl if she didn't start fighting back.

Aura froze completely. The forest seemed to still around them. Even the lush—so reactive, so alive—paused, as if holding its breath. Cherie’s boots scraped against the shifting bark, and she felt the tension in the air as if it were a physical weight. 

Either Aura would make the choice—and the duel would end—or she wouldn’t, and Cherie might be forced to make it for her, violently, just to end the tension that had become unbearable.

And then Aura exhaled, deep and trembling, sword lowering slightly as the first thread of resolve flickered in her eyes.

Aura’s eyes flared gold, and Cherie felt it—the first real challenge. The girl was no longer just reacting; she was shaping the lush. The twisted forest around them shifted instantly. Trees bent into spiraling staircases. Vines coiled like serpents, lashing out to block Cherie’s advance. Cherie had to leap backward over a snapping vine, feeling it brush the side of her boot. The force of lush energy crackled under her fingers as she twirled her sword to deflect a second swinging vine.

“Impressive,” Cherie muttered, heart racing—but her voice had an edge, sharp and dangerous. “Not bad for someone hiding behind indecision.”

Aura didn’t respond verbally. Instead, she stomped on a mossy root, and the ground beneath Cherie gave way like soft clay. Cherie twisted mid-fall, landing on a thick branch that had sprung up from the forest floor, almost knocking her off balance. Lush hummed in protest, the trees around them creaking and bending to accommodate the sudden gravity shift. Cherie could feel the anger rising in her chest. This girl thinks she can take control? Over me? Over this space?

She lunged, swinging her sword through the thick air. Aura ducked and leapt high, her boots clipping a tree trunk that bent to absorb her momentum, and then she landed on a branch across from Cherie, sword raised in perfect form. Cherie felt that thrill again—the mixture of fear and exhilaration. 

Cherie’s eyes narrowed. She slammed her palm against a nearby trunk, and lush responded immediately: flowers sprouted along the bark and bloomed explosively, forcing Aura to twist sideways to avoid getting tangled. Cherie jumped, flipping over a snaking vine, and landed with a hard thud on a new mossy platform that had formed beneath her.

Aura grinned—not a happy, playful grin, but one that radiated fierce determination. She slammed her sword downward, and the lush beneath Cherie’s boots rippled violently, nearly toppling her. Cherie spun, narrowly catching a vine to swing herself into the air, and landed on a fallen log that had turned into a springboard. The cafe-forest blurred around them, morphing at every step. Tables became logs, chairs became boulders, flowers erupted into clouds of fragrant smoke.

Cherie felt her pulse spike, a mix of anger, fear, and a tiny thrill. Aura was using the environment. This was no longer about testing her—this was about forcing her to react, to adapt, to confront the weight of the choice pressing down on the girl. And the more Cherie reacted, the more the forest twisted to mirror their emotions—vines lashed, branches arched, petals fell like rain.

Cherie gritted her teeth and lunged again, but Aura met her mid-air. The clash of blades rang out, sparks flying. Cherie shoved Aura backward, but the girl countered, twisting lush beneath them so that Cherie’s landing spot slid like a slick riverbank. Cherie rolled, barely maintaining her footing, and the branch she had used as leverage snapped upward, slamming Aura lightly but forcing her to tumble into a newly sprouted arching tree.

Aura’s eyes hardened. With a sharp stomp, the lush exploded beneath Cherie in a series of mushrooms and vines, pushing her back, forcing her to leap over a spiraling vine like a gymnast on a wire. Cherie landed, sword ready, fury in her chest, the cafe-forest trembling beneath her boots.

They paused mid-action, both panting, eyes locked. The lush around them shimmered, trees bending toward them, vines curling, flowers leaning like spectators. Cherie felt the weight of the multiverse pressing down on her, mirrored in Aura’s tense stance. 

Aura’s golden eyes glimmered with a dangerous focus. She stomped on the ground, and lush exploded in a fountain of spiraling vines that curled around Cherie mid-leap, trying to catch her. Cherie twisted in the air, narrowly avoiding the grasping tendrils, swinging her sword to slice one free. The sparks of energy that erupted lit the forest like lightning trapped in slow motion.

Aura didn’t answer. She stomped again, and the lush beneath Cherie’s feet shifted violently, turning the mossy branch she had landed on into a slippery, twisting ramp. Cherie skidded, spun, and launched herself off a spiraling trunk, her sword slicing through air that had become thick with floating petals, leaves, and streaks of golden light.

Everywhere Cherie moved, the lush responded. Chairs became towering pillars; tables became jagged cliffs; flowerbeds became twisting corridors of thorned vines. Aura’s hands were in constant motion, shaping, bending, redirecting—the forest itself now an extension of her will. Cherie felt the surge of fury and fear radiating off her opponent, and it made her faster, sharper. Her swings weren’t just strikes; they were warnings, tests, demands.

Aura leapt high, curling a vine under her feet like a springboard, and spun, sending a shower of luminous petals at Cherie. Cherie ducked, then vaulted onto a blossoming arch, her boots scraping petals and leaves, sword slicing at the incoming energy. The forest-shadows stretched and twisted around them, echoing the stakes of their fight.

Aura slammed her sword into the ground, and suddenly the lush beneath Cherie erupted in a wave of energy, sending her flying backward through a tunnel of twisting trees. Cherie landed on her feet, heart pounding, and realized—Aura was controlling this now, not just reacting. The girl was bending the cafe-forest like clay, shaping it into traps, defenses, even illusions. Her cafe.

Cherie gritted her teeth, fury boiling. She lunged, sword thrusting, but Aura anticipated her, vines curling into whiplike arcs that Cherie narrowly deflected. Cherie stumbled but caught a vine to swing herself upward, spinning through the air, blade slashing toward Aura—but Aura twisted midair, vines forming a protective cage around her.

The forest-structure exploded in response, petals and leaves raining down like fire, branches twisting into spirals that hurled Cherie back, but she landed on a massive tree that had formed beneath her, boots gripping as if rooted. She could see Aura, mid-leap, weaving through the chaos, every motion precise yet desperate.

Cherie raised her sword one last time, heart hammering, knowing she couldn’t stop her. Not now. Not ever.

Cherie’s heart slammed in her chest as she saw it—the moment. Aura’s golden eyes narrowed, pupils sharp with decision. She stomped, and the forest-cafe around them shivered violently. Branches snapped into spiraling spikes, petals exploded into clouds of glittering mist, and the floor rippled beneath Cherie’s boots like liquid.

A torrent of lush erupted, vines and roots tearing upward, twisting into towering columns and snapping across the forest-cafe. Cherie rolled and leapt, slicing through one massive root as another curled around her ankle. The ground beneath her feet buckled, flowers erupting like fireworks, leaves and petals spiraling in a blinding storm.

Aura moved like a storm incarnate, shaping every swing of her sword, every gesture of her hands. She lifted a coil of vines and hurled it at Cherie, who ducked, spun, and slammed her sword into a springing root that launched her into the air. She landed on a massive, twisting trunk that had formed beneath her, slicing through a wall of foliage that rose to block her.

“Stay alive, stay alive, stay—” Cherie muttered, heart hammering. The forest shifted again, responding to both of them like a living, sentient thing. A series of massive roots erupted under Aura’s feet, propelling her upward, but Cherie twisted midair, landing on an arching branch that swung her toward Aura. They clashed in midair, swords sparking as they connected, petals exploding around them like a kaleidoscope.

Aura’s grin was brief but fierce, determination blazing in her eyes. She slammed her sword down, and lush responded violently: the cafe-forest ripped apart, twisting and folding over itself. Cherie slid along a rotating trunk, narrowly avoiding a shower of glowing petals that fell like burning rain. The world they had known—a quiet cafe of gingham tablecloths and spring flowers—was gone. Every inch of it now a chaotic playground of vibrant, unstable energy.

Cherie felt rage and exhilaration intertwining. She’s choosing. She’s actually doing it. And it’s beautiful. Terrible. Terrifying. She lunged, twisting vines around her boots to spring herself forward, blade slicing through petals and sparks of energy. Aura leapt to meet her, moving like a blur, vines wrapping into whips and swinging around her like living ropes.

They collided again midair. Cherie felt the force of Aura’s lush-shaping against her, nearly knocking her off the branch she had landed on. She gritted her teeth, forcing herself upright, heart hammering, eyes wild with fury and awe.

The forest erupted in a final crescendo. Trees spiraled into towers, arches twisted into bridges, roots launched like catapults, and petals swirled like a living storm. Cherie and Aura twisted and leapt, dodged and struck, both drenched in sweat, hair plastered with glowing pollen, lungs burning. And in the eye of that chaos, Aura’s sword moved with unshakable resolve.

Cherie froze for a heartbeat, watching Aura stabilize a collapsing branch mid-leap, redirect a tumbling vine like water, and land lightly on a spiraling trunk. The golden eyes met hers—steady, fierce, resolute. The storm of lush energy stilled for just a moment, holding its breath. 

The duel was over. 

Cherie slumped, heart racing, sword lowering. The forest-cafe trembled once more, then began to settle, petals drifting slowly down, roots retracting, tables reforming, chairs returning, until the space was once again the Atelier Cafe.

Cherie sank onto a chair. Aura dropped her sword, plopping down into a chair opposite Cherie, staring at her over the little vase of flowers, breathing hard, sweating, triumphant.

Good. Deciding to save her world was opening a door to million battles. She'd need this level of resolve in order to fight every single one.

As if she realized that, Aura brought her hands up to her face and burst into tears.

Blog Post / Story Ideas

I've been writing every day for the past month. It may not seem consecutive if you look at the dates on this blog but that's because I've written on my other blogs and sometimes I've worked on something here for a couple of days. This is the longest streak of writing that I've ever done where it didn't feel like a chore I was rushing through to get to a final result. 

If depression is a terminal illness, I think it's about to get me. But I've had one dream since I was in kindergarten -- to be a writer. So, that's over forty years of hoping that I'll finally start being a writer tomorrow. Needing to be successful at it so that I can quit the job I hate and have people I'll never meet think I'm awesome. 

I made an attempt last August, and I've regretted my failure every day since. And I'm not being vague because of some worry about the algorithm. I just don't have any desire to trigger any sad person who wanders through the internet and trips over this post. I plan to try again, probably as soon as the next episode takes over, but right now I'm tired and discouraged, and the worst part is that today (or yesterday, since it's 1AM) was the second day that I haven't written anything since I started writing every day. 

Why is that the worst part? I think, because writing every day, even a character profile or a story idea, has helped me get into that mindset --  you know the one. The zen one. The dopamine hit that comes from winning a game of Solitaire. It's a dumb thing that didn't matter, didn't make me any money, and it wasn't impressive because no one knew I did it -- or would be impressed if they knew that I did it. But I was impressed. Because I felt like a Writer. 

The thought behind writing every day is not to save me from the next job that I'd rather die than do, but that if I'd gotten into the habit of writing something small every day forty years ago or twenty years ago or two years ago, I'd have something by now. I wouldn't die without having accomplished the only selfish goal I've ever had.

But, much as it sounds like it, this isn't a pity post, to lament my stumble. I'm going to list all of the story ideas that I can think of that I've already come up with in my life. Some I've written about already on the blog, some I haven't. Some, I might come up with as I'm writing. But I'm going to record as many of them as I can until I get tired. Because I need that Solitaire win before I lay my head down so that my dog can wake me up too early to take her on a walk I don't want to go on but will probably only partially regret. 

Here we go:

Ice, Queen of Summer -- Rifted Era -- Ice is royalty from Winter, the planet that ended up furthest from the sun during The Rift (see Worldbuilding page for more). Winter and Summer have had centuries? millennia? of bitter war, but the only chance at bringing the Earth back into one planet relies on an alliance. So, the princess of Winter marries the king of Summer. On their wedding day, they save each other from a terrorist attack aimed at keeping them apart. They fall in love and help bring the four mini planets back into one Earth. Her name is Ice. I forget his name.

Other notable figures from other stories. Aura (of A Thousand Auras, Britney the Dwarf Queen, and Beware the False Moon), of course. Also, The King and Nakia from Beverlee Hills Mummy and Lush from A Thousand Auras and Subs and Normies and if Darcy gets her own book, from that one too.

A Thousand Auras -- Pre-Rift, maybe partially Rifted Era? -- Aura was born to a mermaid mother but due to a genetic anomaly, she was born without gills or a tail. So, her birth mother takes her to the beach and hands her to the first stranger she can wave down. This ends up being Britney (of Britney the Dwarf Queen). 

Aura has the ability to travel to different worlds. Basically, she can think of a place she'd like to visit, like a planet made entirely of candy or a universe where unicorns and pegasi are real and clouds are like trampolines that you can bounce around on. This story takes place, I think when she's sixteen, but I might start younger, like thirteen. Anyway, it occurs to her to wonder what the Auras in alternate universes are like, and that's her main adventure for this book. 

Britney the Dwarf Queen -- Pre-Rift Era -- Britney is a teenager who has run away from Connecticut to California in order to make her way in the world as the first famous fashion designer for little people (Edna Mode does not count. She is short, she doesn't design exclusively for little people). This puts a halt on Britney's ambitions, and she takes the baby, Aura, back to Connecticut to raise.

Turns out, the baby is magic. Aura takes Britney to a world where Dora the Explorer is real, and Britney quickly realizes that stories are Aura's trigger. Since Aura is a baby, Britney has to keep the baby from anything that might trigger her sense of wonder. And we follow Britney as she navigates the raising of a very special baby, her love life, and her dreams.

This might be a story that takes a few books to write. That, or I'll be speeding through the early years. The story that the title comes from is one day, Aura is exposed to the idea of Snow White and the Seven Dwarves. She's intrigued by the idea of little people working together in a mine and living together and being musical and she takes her mother to that world. Britney ends up becoming queen there, for a time.

Beverlee Hills Mummy -- Pre-Rift Era -- Nakia, a retainer sacrifice from ancient Egypt was ripped from the Afterlife, waking up in her old body. The King had returned to the living, and that meant she had, too. It's her mission to track him down and rescue him from whatever trouble he's gotten himself into so that they can return to the Afterlife. Her search for him takes her millennia, and brings her to modern day Beverlee Hills, where her bandages aren't really questioned. She fits in with the locals, let's say. Her story revolves around what it means to be human and learning how to trust when betrayal is pretty much inevitable. When she finds The King, that's not the end of her journey. He refuses to return to the Afterlife. He likes the Life too much. He suggests that she make the best of it. And she does. But she doesn't forgive him for a long, long time.

Both Nakia and The King are huge players in bringing the world back together after The Rift and they are minor, but notable characters in Beware the False Moon.

Beware the False Moon -- Mended Era -- Jane is a prophecy baby. She was born at the right time and place to fit a prophecy that says she's going to save the world from an evil king. She grows up on a small farm just outside a village that celebrates her, her whole life, for saving the world, even though she hasn't done it yet. There's even a statue of her in the center of town, and as she grows up, Jane expects to resemble that statue, any day now.

When the time comes to set out on her prophesied quest, a long-lost half-brother comes to town and claims that the prophecy is about him, not her. She is relieved because that sense of heroism has never kicked in, and according to the moon, it's time. But, the prophecy isn't called The False Moon Prophecy for no reason, and it turns out Jane IS the hero. 

She sets out on her quest with a team of villagers and friends. Her best friend is a shape-shifting unicorn named Bear (who is really Aura with amnesia that happened when she helped mend The Rift). As the quest goes on and Jane completes all of the tasks the prophecy foretold, she starts to feel like a hero, and maybe it goes to her head a bit. 

But, she was right the whole time. The prophecy was written by The King (of Beverlee Hills Mummy), kind of as a joke. Like, when everything in the prophecy that he made up actually happened, it'd be time for him to return to the Afterlife. It's actually Nakia (the MC of Beverlee Hills Mummy) who figures it out. She doesn't break it to Jane particularly gently, but Jane, a bit high on her own supply, doesn't believe Nakia and continues on.

The big reveal that The King isn't evil (just kind of an asshole) and that the prophecy was a work of imagination BUT that The King IS ready to return to the Afterlife, and he wants Jane to dismantle him -- well, this is a bit of a shock to Jane. She finds that she can't do it, and Bear has to do it. As the story has gone on, Bear has been regaining his memory as Aura, although remembering it as stories. Seeing The King again makes her realize that she's Aura. She helps The King return to the Afterlife and then she goes into a complete identity crisis and just kind of poofs into nothing, herself.

The sequel, which I haven't named yet, is an exploration of Jane's identity crisis, grief over missing Bear, and getting to know her half-brother. I think her agoraphobic mother joins her halfway through. When Aura comes back, she joins Jane's quest group as a stranger. She's a little hurt that Jane never mentions Bear. Also, that Jane doesn't seem to like Aura. I think at some point, Aura tells her story, the same way that Bear used to tell stories, and Jane figures out that Aura is Bear and they both cry and hug and Aura says she's not Bear but that she is, and she ends up with the name Beaura, which is fucking adorable.

Beverlee Hills Mummy Book 1 Chapter Outline WIP Part 1

•  Chapter 1 September First Day of School
• Meeting Thai, China, Candy. Thai invites Nakia to lunch. They leave campus in order to go to their favorite restaurant and miss fourth and fifth period because they stop to shop. Nobody Eats Except for Prince Machiavelli (Thai's dog). Halloween Party discussion, Thai's engagement discussion, Candy's and China's nose job and Thai's boob job discussion.
• Chapter 2 September Kim/Jacki/Staff Intro
• Kim has the rundown on Jacki and the staff. Jacki breaks rules as a social worker but just to help her charges, not really blackmail material. One of Jacki's clients is a classmate of the girls (Blythe). Her parents often leave town for weeks or months without paying the utility bills and their fridge is broken. Nakia tells Kim to buy Blythe a fridge and food to fill it, and also to hack into the utility company and pay the bills. Kim agrees. Another kid needs new shoes and Nakia tells Kim to buy the kid some shoes.
• Nakia's interior decorator is very sorry that she decorated Sunny's room for a six-year-old, there was a typo in the brief. Nakia doesn't care, she doesn't sleep anyway, and nobody else is going to see it (foreshadowing). Decorator is almost done with the rest of the house, any notes from Nakia? Nope!"
• Chapter 3 September Makeover!
• Candy gives "Sunny" a makeover while Thai and China play on the slides built into Nakia's bed. Candy gives Nakia a collection of beautiful bandages (instead of the sterile white gauze). Keeps conversation light, would seem superficial except for the discreet way that she gave Nakia the bandages, as well as her frank but friendly contemplation of Nakia's assets (she's got a tiny waist, delicate wrists, and cheekbones that could cut glass). Also gives Nakia a nicer version of her usual wig and better sunglasses.
• Chapter 4 FLASHBACK Arrival / Afterlife
• The first place Nakia has ever felt in perfect physical comfort, the food is amazing,  and she has The King to play Senet with forever. It's Heaven.
• Chapter 5 October School: History Lecture
• Nakia protests a fact that History teacher presents. History teacher is amused, impressed, already knows, but the truth isn't on curriculum. One kid protests, now worried that they'll write the correct answer on the test and get it wrong.
• Chapter 6 October Halloween Party
• Nakia is Cleopatra (Candy's idea). I don't know the other costumes yet. Nakia doesn't like having people in her house, and can't wait for them to leave. A hot skeleton asks her to dance. Nakia would have said no, but Candy answers for her and shoves Nakia toward the dance floor. Prince Machiavelli has a great time running around, but is never far from Nakia. She gets to know Uncle Chester a bit. He is very confident in Candy's affection and tells Nakia that Candy isn't ashamed of him because he's not hot, she just likes having a secret. But, he told her that he won't let her give him a makeover until they are publicly dating. Thai's fiance is maybe the chillest dude on Earth. Thai is the one who proposes, with her own ring, and is planning the wedding for the minute that she turns eighteen, a few days after graduation. They met in kindergarten but didn't started dating until third grade. But it's a good thing that they waited and sowed their wild oats before getting together. He has a good sense of humor. China's boyfriend seems very intrigued by the hot skeleton's costume, and doesn't say much otherwise.
• Chapter 7 October The Breakdown
• Boris's (chauffer's) car breaks down on the way to a beach bonfire. Nakia takes an Uber, after making sure that Boris has AAA on the way.
• Chapter 8 FLASHBACK Egypt: The King / Senet
• Nakia awakens in the middle of the night to pee. The princess is asleep so Nakia relieves herself and sneaks out of the room, knowing that she'll be whipped if she's caught. Finds a man playing Senet by himself in the garden. He teaches her. She doesn't know that he's The King. She sneaks back into the room and Ahmose is still sleeping. She resolves to go to bed without peeing every night so that she can have time to think.
• Chapter 9 November Beach Bonfire
• Nakia tries not to think about the time she was burned at the stake. People at the party talk about earthquakes, which reminds Nakia of being sacrificed to a volcano in Atlantis. She's not having a great time. She tries to sneak out early but China catches her, and the trio and Nakia go to their favorite restaurant where they don't eat anything (except for Prince Machiavelli who refuses to leave Nakia's lap).
• Chapter 10 November Shoe Backlash
• Blythe's parents didn't even notice the brand new fridge, but the other kid was accused of stealing the shoes that just showed up on his doorstep. Jacki handled it so the kid didn't get into too much trouble, but Kim feels awful. She bought him the kind of shoes her nephew had on his Christmas list, not realizing that they would be very noticable in his neighborhood.
• Ever since the night of the bonfire, Boris has stopped Nakia several times to apologize, to Nakia's annoyance. She tells Kim that if he doesn't leave her alone, she's going to fire him. Kim says that's what he's trying to avoid, explaining that Nakia keeping  her room immaculate, not eating the food Iz prepares, and only occasionally using Boris to drive her anywhere is causing anxiety amongst the staff. They feel like they're not needed. They were so relieved that she hosted a Halloween party because it kept them busy for weeks.
• Nakia, having been a servant in a palace, had thought she was being low-maintenance. She resolves to have Boris drive her to school every day, flush Iz's food down the toilet, and let her room be messy.
• Chapter 11 November The Ride
• Boris drives Nakia to school the next day, so happy that he's extra chatty, and she contemplates murder. Resolves to bring vehicles in from other locations to keep him entertained.
• Chapter 12 FLASHBACK Egypt: Nakia's Murder
• Nakia is set up to be a retainer sacrifice for The King after he dies unexpectedly. Princess Ahmose doesn't kill Nakia herself, but she does watch.
• Nakia didn’t cry. She didn’t beg. She just stared into Ahmose’s hard eyes. Something flickered in her gaze, a flash of the girl she had once been: running across the field, black hair catching the sun like blue fire, eyes dancing with mischief. She remembered crashing into that girl, hearts and limbs lost in a tangle of giggles.
• The last thing Nakia saw was Ahmose close her eyes and turn away. It was the remorse that Nakia found hardest to forgive. It meant that her friend and enemy were the same person. And she died, never understanding what had twisted one into the other.

One thing that I totally forgot to include is Nakia looking for The King, so I want to go back and add that. I also want to fill in each event with more character exploration and fun things. Like, what happens at a bonfire? Some kids will be running around the water, some will be making out, some will be doing drugs and drinking, some will be putting the fire together, some will be bossing others around. I also need to look up the laws for beach bonfires, because it's going to happen but it might need to be someone's dad's private beach or something, and a detail like that will be important. I also want to use these scenes to explore the dynamics between the girls. Each duo, the trio of original friends, a trio that includes Nakia, and of course, the quartet. Also, Thai, China, and Candy all have boyfriends, so we need to get to know them. And I want "Sunny" to have some potential love interests as well as friends outside the group.

I also want to figure out the girls' favorite restaurant. In my original attempt to write this, it was The Stinking Rose, but I'm pretty sure it closed down at some point, and I think I'm going to make it a fictional restaurant. I do remember the girls ordering a ton of food and eating none of it because they all have eating disorders. I was much meaner about the trio back then, but I still think it's important to talk about. Like, the girls will be openly envious of Nakia's figure, even though/because she's fully just a skeleton wrapped in bandages.

Oh! And I totally forgot that Nakia is a collector of weird cars that she has scattered around the world under different aliases. Transportation is something that she is obsessed with partly because she grew up in ancient Eygpt and partly because she has such a constant and intense need to make a quick getaway.

Beverlee Hills Mummy -- Trilogy Outline WIP FINAL!!!

I should clarify that each book represents 1 year of high school, so we have Book 1 being Sophomore Year, Book 2 being Junior Year, and Book 3 being Senior Year. "Sunny", Thai, China, Candy, and Ophelia are all supposed to be around the same age, maybe a few months apart (except for China and Candy who have the same birthday). So, all the girls are or turn sixteen in Book 1, seventeen in Book 2, and eighteen in Book 3.

 
I'm going to have each book have three acts, with Fall, Winter, and Spring being the main focuses. Summer will happen off-page, so it can be referred to, but not focused on. (We can change this later if we need to but I can't think of any summer-specific plot points that I want to have happen right now.) 

• Book 1

• Fall

• Flashback -- Egypt
• Nakia's murder.
• Nakia's first game with The King.
• Flashback -- Afterlife
• Waking up in the Afterlife.
• Friendship
• "Sunny" meets Thai, Candy, and China.
• They invite her to lunch. Nobody eats.
• Prince Machiavelli takes to Nakia (probably because she's made of bones).
• Halloween party at Nakia's house (Thai's idea.)
• Candy gives Nakia a makeover.
• Kim & Jacki
• Nakia assigns Kim to investigate Jacki to get dirt on her.
• Jacki does break rules, but only to help kids. Synopsis of Jacki's personal and professional life.
• Dating prospects.
• Jacki's interim foster kid.
• Constant parade of rescue animals handed off at cookouts.
• Jacki's Pinto.
• One of Jackie's kids needs a fridge and Nakia tells Kim to buy the kid a fridge.
• School
• Nakia lectures a teacher.
• Beach bonfire (a bit triggering).
• Staff
• Bedroom is for a child. Personal interior decorator is embarrassed.
• Car breaks down.
• Cook is offended.

• Winter

• Flashback -- Egypt
• Ahmose's discovers Nakia's midnight senet game with The King.
• Friendship
• Nakia discovers each girls' secret:
• Thai's aunt's Samoyed business.
• Candy's boyfriend.
• China's soup kitchen.
• Skiing at Big Bear.
• Kim & Jacki
• Kim bought the kid a fridge but the kid was accused of stealing. Jacki handled it.
• Interim kid is gone, Jacki has a new pet.
• School
• Nakia excells at math and science. Tests into Calculus and Physics.
• Gets into heated debate with History teacher.
• Winter Formal Dance -- Nakia's first date.
• Staff
• Iz is also insomniac.
• Aryn is golf fanatic, "Sunny" has a great arm (or whatever).
• Boris has a pacemaker.

• Spring

• Flashbacks Egypt
• Nakia realizes that Ahmose isn't her sister.
• Friendships
• Discovering Ophelia!
• Twins' birthday party. (Jan 8th)
• Kim & Jacki
• Jackie and Sunny finally meet.
• School
• Gives class presentation in History class.
• School play (Meda's Lark).
• Staff
• Katie and Walter are dating.
• Ronan finds a bracelet lost during the Halloween party by a guest. Turns it into Kim.
• Sadie takes pH VERY seriously.

• Book 2

• Fall

• Flashback -- Egypt
• Summer nights on village roofs.
• Flashback -- Afterlife
• The King starts going off on his own.
• Flashback -- Atlantis
• Nakia follows The King to Atlantis but just misses him.
• Foreshadowing of eruption.
• Nakia makes a friend.
• Friendship
• Nakia gets to know Ophelia and the three girls start visiting together once a week to play senet (Nakia's version).
• Joins Track team with Candy.
• Wins a race easily.
• Candy is jealous.
• Prince Machiavelli hides from Thai when it's time to leave Nakia's house.
• Kim & Jacki
• Jacki has a case that involves a classmate of the girls.
• Her name is Blythe Holloway.
• She's on the track team.
• Her parents leave her alone for weeks and months and forget to pay the utilities and stock the fridge before they go.
• Her old boyfriend is trying to pull her into a life of crime.
• The Pinto is acting up.
• School
• Nakia resolves not to get into arguments with her history teachers -- immediately breaks that resolution.
• Quits Track team.
• Candy is angry because it lets the team down.
• This causes Nakia to spiral because she could never do anything right with Ahmose either. 
• Staff
• Victor is self-conscious about baby weight (trans).
• City doesn't like dogs.
• Iz gets food poisoning.

• Winter

• Flashback -- Egypt
• Ahmose brings Nakia to the palace.
• Showers her with gifts.
• Nakia is homesick, which makes Ahmose angry.
• Ahmose withholds affection.
• Flashback -- Afterlife
• The King disappears for real.
• Nakia is pulled back into the tomb (body horror).
• Flashback -- Atlantis
• Nakia loves Atlantis.
• Has a friend.
• Is learning about Geology and Astrology and clockwork and steam.
• Thinks about staying.
• More rumblings.
• Nakia confides in her friend about being a mummy.
• Friend asks priest to help Nakia.
• Friendship
• Prince Machiavelli adopts Nakia officially.
• Thai says she's not jealous but Nakia doesn't trust it.
• Excuses herself from senet for a couple of weeks.
• Kim & Jacki
• Nakia excuses herself from weekly Jacki and staff reports.
• School
• Nakia stops participating in class and extracurricular social events.
• Staff
• Nakia avoids her staff.

• Spring

• Flashback -- Egypt
• Ahmose whips Nakia.
• Flashback -- Afterlife
• "Risk" with The King.
• Flashback -- Atlantis
• Priest suggests Nakia as sacrifice.
• Nakia is tossed into volcano. It erupts anyway (if you can believe it).
• After the eruption, Nakia sulks in the ocean.
• Reflects on how disappointing humanity is.
• Realizes that The King has been avoiding her on purpose.
• Rises from the ruins to find her bones have been opalized.
• Renews her determination to find The King.
• Friendship
• Candy apologizes.
• Thai reiterates that she's not mad about Prince Machiavelli and that she doesn't intend to adopt any more Samoyeds.
• Ophelia comes up with her own version of Semet.
• Kim & Jacki
• Nakia tells Kim to back off on surveillance of Jacki.
• But gets the update, first.
• Blythe ran away with her older boyfriend.
• School
• Starts participating again, just a tiny argument with History teacher.
• Goes to support Candy's track meet.
• Blythe faints while running, dehydrated.
• Is supported by her friends.
• Staff
• Peggy is done decorating the house.
• Katie & Walter break up. Walter quits.
• Victor's dysphoria is better.
• Reckoning With The King
• The King reveals why he's been avoiding Nakia.
• Tells Nakia about lush.
• Shoos her off to live her life.
• Nakia can practice shaping her lush body over the summer.

• Book 3:

• Fall

• Flashback -- Egypt
• Ahmose forces Nakia to write a letter to her parents saying that she doesn't love them and never wants to see them again because she's so happy at the palace.
• The King gives Nakia a solid gold senet piece that he turned into a pendant.
• Flashback -- Afterlife
• More "Risk" with The King.
• Flashback -- Havenford
• Nakia tracks The King to Havenford, but the trail is cold.
• She saves a local girl's life.
• New mayor in town weaponizing superstition.
• Friendship
• Ophelia designs a beautiful 3D printed Senet board, asks Nakia if it would be okay to sell the designs.
• Candy talks China into going to UCLA instead of FIDM.
• Thai is vigorously planning her wedding (June 24th).
• Kim & Jacki
• Kim is retired from running Nakia's aliases.
• She is also not really needed for staff stuff either.
• She's able to fly home in between visits from Jacki.
• She isn't technically still supposed to be tracking Jacki, but she does update Nakia on Blythe.
• Jacki found her and brought her back.
• School
• School counselor talks to "Sunny" about college.
• Nakia's new History teacher is not as patient as her last two.
• Staff
• City quits, is not replaced.
• Ronan and Sadie get married.
• Iz is diagnosed with diabetes.

• Winter

• Flashback -- Egypt
• The King Dies
• Nakia is devastated, Ahmose is pissed.
• Flashback -- Afterlife
• More "Risk" with The King.
• Flashback -- Havenford
• Escalation of superstition, shunning.
• Nakia's friend group tries to sabotage the mayor.
• Friendship
• China's boyfriend comes out as gay.
• She liked being his beard.
• Candy looks for a condo building for the girls to all live in (all their own condos, of course).
• Ophelia is mentally preparing to be left behind.
• Thai calls off her wedding but remains engaged.
• Kim & Jacki
• Kim makes a cameo for visit with Jacki.
• School
• Nakia finds out that The King's tomb was discovered, along with several of his dynasty in History class. Refrains from getting into argument with teacher.
• Attends another of Blythe's art exhibits with China.
• China falls in love with Blythe's painting. (It's a still life of a cracked china cup with blood leaking out of it.) The tiered tray of tiny cakes is exquisite.
• Offers to buy it.
• Staff
• Iz is pregnant and everything tastes like pickles to her, so nothing she cooks comes out right.
• Now that Nakia eats, this is a problem. Iz starts to teach Nakia how to cook.
• Boris has to go in for a pacemaker check-up.
• Nathan gets stung by a bee.

• Spring

• Flashback -- Egypt
• Tomb discovered. The only remnant of her legacy is a pendant that The King gave to Nakia.
• Nakia thinks of stealing the pendant back, but doesn't want it.
• (The King will give it to Aura to return to Nakia in Beware the False Moon.)
• Flashback -- Afterlife
• One last game of Senet.
• Flashback -- Havenford
• Burned at the stake.
• Friendship
• Thai gets really close to her wedding date but calls it off.
• Kim & Jacki
• Blythe turns 18 but Jacki is still helping her.
• She asks Nakia to hire Blythe as a maid.
• Nakia would, but Prince Machiavelli takes to Blythe, so Nakia hires Blythe as her dog sitter.
• School
• Grad Night
• Graduation
• Staff
• Iz goes on pregnancy leave and everyone takes turns making their best dishes so that Iz doesn't need to be replaced.
• Nakia tries cheesecake for the first time (the name had put her off).
• Vows to wife it up.