Universe List

[pineapplechild]

Manners-verse:
    A universe very like our own, but with a bit more magic. Magic users are in the minority of the population, and until roughly the late Edwardian, early Victorian, were mostly maintaining the Masquerade, as it were. Oh, there's always been areas (and times) where the mask is thinner, but for the most part, the magic using society developed in parallel. Family, clan, and teachers are a big thing in magical society, and the split between Light and Dark magic is huge. Manners are what keeps everyone from getting out of control.
Contains:
    Ward:
        Focuses on Dark Mage Luka Reinhardt and his reluctant apprentice, Neil, who has gained some unsavory demonic attention.
    Ravencroft:
        There hasn’t been an actual seat of higher magical education since the Greeks, in the west, at least. Until Samantha Daverns sets her mind to it. Focuses on Sam and some of the first generations of faculty and students at Ravencroft.
    Turtle Bakery:
        Focuses on Cya Torres, owner and head baker of Turtle Bakery. Cya was one of the formost Alchemists of his line, until a horrific accident. After the accident and death of his best friend, Cya swore off alchemy, and moved away to open a bakery. Everything was rolling merrily along until a new Baron came to power and started to take a bit too much interest, and Cya’s estranged wife shows up again, saying that he and their daughter are in great danger.     
    The City and the Keep, alternately, The Alchemist and the Knight:
        Renaissance Italy, in a county where the local lord is the son of a demon, the lord’s alchemist is the illegitimate daughter of an empress, and the lord’s most loyal knight is the son of a local goddess. But your origins are not all that you are or ever will be.
    Seekerkine:
        Focuses on Detective Isidore Winters, of the Chicago Police Department, and his wife, Dr. Anais van Leeuwenhoek.
Semi-canonical:
    Wall-ward:
        The Roman Empire is known as one of the last great magical Empires, and the Wall separated civilization in the British Isles from the Wild Magics. Focuses on the mixed Company of Third on the Wall.

Sticky

[pineapplechild]

Universes

Characters

Cast the Runes

[pineapplechild]

When Aaron came of age (firstborn of a priestess and a mage; an auspicious birth), his mother cast the runes. It was, somewhat unusually, a compass cast. The rune othala spoke of property and order, a settled man, paterfamilias, but the second rune was nauthiz, an unchancy rune of need and cunning. The south rune was kenaz, appropriate for a young boy already showing signs of fire-talent. Finally, in the west was thurisaz, again an unchancy rune speaking of change and conflict. It was declared that the boy be sworn to Loki, the trickster-god, for thurisaz was the giant-god’s rune.

When Tabitha came of age, her mother was already dead. Her mother’s sister cast them, although she was by calling a soldier, not a priestess. Again, like her brother, it was a circle cast. North was ansus, Odin the ancestor god’s mark, firmly in His quarter. There was no dispute that the girl would be sworn to the One Eyed God. East was raidho, travel and wanderings, while west was perthro, the woman’s mark, for a seeker of mysteries. Finally, in the south was algiz, the shield, promising the gods’ blessings and wisdom.


——

Thurisaz was a common rune amongst opps agents. In fact, it was one of things that the opps head looked for when recruiting. Oh, not that every opps agent had one, or every agent with that rune was in opps, but it was disproportionately present.
Aaron Danrick had come to their attention for a different matter.

[Hell if I know what 'verse this is in. Ravencroft, maybe.]

How It Could Have Gone

[pineapplechild]

“Shove over, you git. Share the duuna.” Miles muttered at Ky, who was already in bed, and heaped with two duunas, and a quilt. Fire-mages. Give them anything close to below freezing and they started complaining. Although, if Ky was starting to feel the summons…
“Thought you were pissed at me and staying at your mum’s?” Ky murmured, sleepily.
“Venke is in the guestroom already, and I don’t like sleeping on her couch.”
“She made you go for a walk, didn’t she.”
“At least five miles into the woods and back. Is there further destruction in the back woods?”
“It is more then likely.”
Ky was like a space heater, and Miles relaxed into the nest of blankets. Wiggling around to find a good spot, he propped himself up on one side and poked at Ky until he allowed himself to be spooned.
“I’m still pissed at you.” Miles murmured into the back of his neck, breath tickling the short hairs at Ky’s hairline.
“And I don’t agree with you. But I know.” Ky murmured back, relaxing into his embrace.
“We can totally whoop your mom’s ass.”
“I doubt in, but I will entertain suggestions in the morning.”


 

the first meeting, after

[pineapplechild]

Miles wasn’t surprised to be summoned to the Provost’s office, not with rumors of the University hosting the Coven’s talks with the Djinni Court. There would probably be a full meeting of the Deans by the end of the month, but Sammy was never one to jump into things cold. So, he went, after his morning class, to Sammy’s office, wearing his normal uniform of slacks and dress shirt. The sleeves were rolled up, and he hadn’t bothered to put the jacket on, what with the warm weather.
So, when he found Kyren, wearing the Djinni Queen’s colors, following Sammy out of her office, and laughing about something, he had to restrain himself from going for his wolf. Instead, he ignored Sammy’s gesture for him to be quiet, and instead pasted his most icily polite face on as Kyren paused as he came into the room. Ky was wearing a polite expression as well, that seemed deeply out of place on a man Miles remembered as disdaining tact as inefficient.
Sammy stepped forward, presumably to introduce them, but Ky bowed first.
Miles felt pettily vindicated, as it was the bow of a social inferior to a superior. He bowed back, and said, formally, “Master Ayo Caras.”
“Lord Andronikos, now, I’m afraid, Dean.” Ky said, sunnily.
“My apologies, Lord Andronikos. Autumn’s felicitations upon your gain.” Miles said stiffly, containing his outrage. What had Ky *done*, sworn an apprentice-bond to that bitch?
“No offense taken, I assure you.”
Sammy sighed, and said rudely, “Interesting as this display is, gentlemen, I need to speak with Miles. It’s been a pleasure, Kyren, and I look forward to hearing more from you and the Coven.”
Miles bowed to Ky, and ignored how much it hurt to think of him sworn to Eudoxia. He even more firmly ignored the whine of his wolf, confused and hurt.

Once Sammy and Miles were alone, Sammy turned to him with a disgruntled expression.
“Miles, what the hell was that? You know my feelings on the old manners.”
Miles shrugged. Normally, he didn’t need the crutch of formality to placate his wolf, but *damn*, it hurt to see Ky.
“Long story.” He said, with a shrug. “Old story. Knew each other during the war.”
“Ah,” Sammy contented herself with, but eyed him curiously. “Anyway, I needed to talk to you about some arrangements…”

homecoming

[pineapplechild]

Katy shows up on Ana’s doorstep at eight in the morning, looking just like she had ten years ago. Same freckles, same messy ponytail, same grumpy expression.
Before Ana could say anything, Katy said “I have raging nicotine withdrawl and the IRS wants me for tax evasion. Let me use your kitchen.”
Ana smiles before she can stop herself, and moves to the side to let her friend in.
—-

Katy is just the same in the kitchen, too, words pouring from her in meaningless babble, as she efficiently pulls out bread loaf pans and writes up a grocery list. She’s in the middle of berating Ana — “This milk is about two snifs from expired, you’re still living out of the library and eating only that shitty food from the Law School cart, arn’t you?” — when the dreamlike quality that has suffused this ever since Ana opened her door snaps, and Ana is suddenly hugging her friend tightly, so tightly it probably hurts.
“Oh shit,” Katy says in horror, muffled in Ana’s shirt. “Ana, Ana, honey. It’s okay.”
Ana just cries harder.
“Ana, Ana. Just stop crying. I’m home, I’m home, I’m fine, and the IRS doesn’t really want to hang me on the rack, they just want to know where I’ve been for the past ten years. It’s not like I can say ‘Oh, I was just visiting the fae court.’ Ana, really. I’m okay, but I’m going to suffocate if you continue to smother me in your still meager cleavage.”
Ana sniffles, and relaxes, but does not release, her hold on Katy.
“I’m a professor now.” She says, very seriously, “I have minions to bring me food from the Law School food cart.”
Katy is unfazed by the non-sequitur.
“They probably just bring you coffee and a doughnut. I’m surprised you’ve managed to keep your girlish figure so far.”

“I’m sorry, I can’t promise I won’t leave you again.”
—-

safe-passage

[pineapplechild]

“Well, as the Guard does not claim you, fox, we do not recognize your claim of safe-passage through out lands, and we find you in violation of our border.” The Elfin knight said coolly, thin lips tightening into a chilly smile.
“Hold on one fucking second,” Aaron burst out, as guards began to move toward Will, who was still in the binding circle. His tails were all puffed out, and his ears were flat against his skull, even as his facial expression was determined neutral.
Abruptly, there was the sound of scuffle outside, and the doors were forced open. The very last person Aaron expected to strode through them. It was Professor MacCormack, from Ravencroft. But, despite wearing the same slightly tweedy suit, without the jacket and sleeves rolled up, power hung like a cloak around him, and he moved entirely differently, much more assured, head up, and looking over the room like a king.
“Does the Elfanheim no longer recognize the Kingdom of Smoke and Flame?” he asked in a rolling basso-profundo, striding to stand before the Elf.
The elf squinted at him oddly, and recoiled, the odd harmonics of his voice suddenly dissonant as he said “We do not recognize you, mortal.”
“Really?” The professor asked, a faint smile around his lips. “I will be sure to inform my lord, the King of Smoke and Flame, when I next see him that we need not allow your traders to Our markets, then.”
What. The. Hell. Aaron thought. What was Professor MacCormack *talking* about?
“And who, are you, to speak to the King of Smoke and Flame so casually?” The elf sneered, but less assuredly now.
“His Consort, equal in power and will.” The professor said calmly, as suddenly what Aaron had taken for tattoos on his arms lit up with flame. The very air seemed heavy with his power now. Aaron was pretty sure he was gaping.
The elf paled, but continued onward.
“That may be so, but what interest does the Kingdom of Smoke and Flame have in this simple border-jumper?”
“Ryota, known as William Inoue, is the son of one of our most faithful subjects, the Lady Chinatsu. As such, he has a claim to Our protection, and is granted, by the treaty between Our land and Elfanheim, safe passage in pursuit of his duties to Us.”
Aaron was, as it happened, watching Will when the Professor (King? Queen? Was was the male consort of a king called?) claimed him

(no subject)

[pineapplechild]

I have the absolute worst timing for crushes. Also, I find competency unfairly hot.
Thus my current situation, I thought mournfully, tracking a particular pair of really broad shoulders to the bar. My boss’s shoulder.
Isidore Winters is a good boss, which makes this whole thing worse. If he was just a very pretty pair of shoulders, a very nice chest narrowing down into slim hips and the thighs of a grecian god, I’d be okay. I’d pick up a couple guys when I had some free time, satiate the bird-brain, and move on and do my damn job. Instead, Winters is former *Elite Guard*, and one of the top detectives in the district, all of which makes my bird-brain sit up and start chittering about good mate material, and then to top it all off, he’s a good boss and all around competent and funny guy. As one of Sky’s sisters says— I’d’a like fucking swooned if he so much as looked at me, both the man and the idiotic bundle of instinct we call a seeker. I was, in fact, having a hard time keeping my shape, something I hadn’t had trouble with since I was all of 10, because the damn bird-brain kept insisting that our human form wasn’t pretty enough to awe him, and we should be at the very least in our half-and-half form, if not the full dragon. Never mind that the full dragon couldn’t fit in this entire bar.
Not the best mindset for a job, particularly this one.

Izzy and Anias, early on

[pineapplechild]

( In bed. )

talking shop

[pineapplechild]

“What are you working on after dinner?” Anais said casually as she poured the wine. Isidore rolled his eyes as he carried the steaks to the table from the grill on the balcony.
“Jurisdiction wrangling,” he said with loathing. “One of my team’s cases caught the eye of M&S, and they’re sending a team to ‘liase’ on it. They’re looking for grounds to take it over.”
“Oh? What’s the cause?” she said, taking her seat.
“This kid apparently killed her abusive guardian, and torched the house. Kid’s a minor and there’s a pretty solid case for self-defense, but the catch is that the kid’s seekerkin, and her guardian was the local Council rep. There’s some evidence that the guardian planned to use her in an Outsider summoning.”
“Sick bastard.” Anais growled, stabbing her steak with perhaps more force then necessary. “That damn Talented Act.”
Isidore looked up from his steak at her. “No argument. But the upshot is that M&S are sending over this Klein guy and his partner to babysit us.” Isidore said, taking a bite of the steak. “Good marinade, babe.”
“Thanks,” she said, sipping her wine. “Klein, huh. This guy— he’s not William Klein, is he?”
“You know him?” Isidore asked, surprised.
“Kitsune, white blond?” At Isidore’s nod, she continued. “He was the best damn internist I ever had, got run out of the programme when they found out his mother was a foxwife. It was a damn shame. I’d heard he’d got a job at M&S, but I figured it was as a tech or something.”
“Rough.” Isidore said in sympathy. “Yeah, he’s an agent under DiNozzo, the hardass, so he’s probably pretty good.  Still a pain in the ass, though. Hey, what are you drinking?” he asked, noticing that she had a white wine while he had a red.
“That muscatto from last night.”
“Really? With steak?” Isidore made a face of disgust.
Anais pointed sipped again from her glass. “It’s my damn house, I can drink what I want.” She said haughtily. She looked at him over the top of her glass, and her smile was fond. “Look at you, sophisticated wine drinker. I remember when you only drank that wretched beer.”
“I can be trained.” He deadpanned. They ate in companionable silence for a few minutes, until Anais asked “Has the kid been put in contact with the local Command Trine?”
“Hrm?” Isidore said around a mouth full of steak,before swallowing. “Not sure. We just took the case over from Mallorie’s team. Kid’s in the lockup until they figure out how they’re charging her.”
“I see.” Anais said.
“I will find out?” Isidore said a bit hesitantly.
“Please do. If the kid was almost sacrificed by the local council rep, I bet she’s not the fondest for Council mages, and that’s all you guys have on staff.”
“Lizzie looked him over, apparently she was a smart ass.”
Anais smiled fondly, eyes distant. “Seekerkin.” She said with a shrug.

Shindig

[pineapplechild]

“My dear, you knew going in that he was going to be there.” She looked at him over the rim of her coffee cup, large blue eyes highlighted by elaborate eye makeup.
Kieran leaned back in his chair, cradling his own cup in his palm. He let out an uncharacteristically revealing sigh.
“I know. I knew. But.” He smiled self-deprecatingly at her. “I’ve always been a sucker for Miles in a suit. But don’t worry Heyoka, I’ll manage.”
She let out a sound that, if written, would look something like “Pfiffle.”
“Well then.” She said briskly. “What in the world have you done to your hair?”
Kieran grinned at her. “Ain’t I just a gem?” He said, flourishing his arms.
She arched an eyebrow at him.
 “You look like some sort of glam rocker.”
“And your boyfriend doesn’t?”
Heyoka raised her chin infinitesimally, acknowledging the hit.

—-

I have always hated these sort of things. Dress up all pretty, pull out the company manners, admire their pretty new mcguffin, then try and pull the other guy for as much money as possible. Give me a roomfull of first years with control issues any day. I’d much rather risk the burns.

“Try and look less like you want to run screaming from the room, Miles.” Samantha murmured to me. “No wonder you didn’t make it as career military, you suck at these kind of politics.”
“Tell me something I don’t know.” I muttered back, then blanched. “Sam, save me. That Women is coming.”
Sam rolled her eyes, gave him her empty champagne flute, and turned around with a cheerful smile. 
    “Ms. Newberg! So good to see you.”
The Newberg matriarch smiled at her. “Samantha, my dear! And Professor Cormack—” She started to turn to him. I eyed her artificially augmented chest, which appeared to be about to make a break for it from her dress.
“I’ll, ah, just get you some more champagne, then, Sam.” I managed, and made my escape.