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rainstardragon) wrote2025-07-03 11:35 pm
rainstardragon) wrote2025-07-03 11:35 pm
Entry tags:
The Broken Door: FFM #3 2025
In this I return for a very short comical sojuring into my Selkies' Skins universe. This is set sometimes during the group's early tenure as professors at their alma mater. Is it early in Kirsty's pregnancy? Maybe?
Also posted at my Livejournal, DeviantArt, Tumblr, and Patreon. I need to catch the publishing blog up with the month's push.
---
Kirsty stood with her legs apart, hands on her hips, glaring at the portal in front of her. Or more accurately, it was supposed to be a portal. In reality, at least for her, it was more like a black condom stretched over a person sized rounded door frame.
“Ally, Thomas. You guys have got to be joking. WHAT DID YOU THREE DO?” Her fiery braids were starting to frizz with static electricity as she folded her arms, glaring through currently storm-sea-blue eyes.
“Not a thing other than casting it. You saw David pass through just fine.” Thomas widened his brown eyes and smiled. The wind tousled his blond hair.
“Why would we mess with the portal when we want to show you something?” Ally reasoned, patting the air. Her amber eyes held none of the mischief Kirsty might have expected. Ally’s own red hair rested lightly, only moving in the wind and not reacting to any sort of energetic buildup.
David came back through the portal, his black robes contrasting starkly with his ice-blue eyes and the long white hair he had tied behind him. “Is something wrong? It has been some time and none of you came through. I think I saw Kirsty bounce a few times? Possibly punch something?” He looked his wife over.
Kirsty threw up her hands and adjusted the sealskin hanging from her shoulders she kept disguised as a simple lamb cloak. “I cannot use that,” She pointed accusing at the portal lurking behind him. “It’s rejecting me or something.”
“Odd. It works just fine for me.” David frowned, then took a few steps closer to her. “It’s a rather nice glade with an interesting stone. I can’t read it, though. It looks like what your book is in.”
“She should be able to go through just fine. Let’s see.” Thomas walked through, waited a moment, and then returned to them. “No issues.”
Ally tried next and similarly met with no difficulty.
“Maybe she ought to hold your hand?” Thomas mused. I’m not sure why it would reject her.”
“Rather embarrassing that I appear to be the one out of four institution professors that can’t use this door.” Kirsty grumbled wryly. “I don’t mind trying that, though.”
“We could. I have no reason to not want to hold your hand.” David smiled at Kirsty.
Kirsty blushed and looked down.
“Been a few years and that still happens randomly.” Thomas smirked. “Good thing our students learn quickly that David won’t tolerate any students teasing Professor Blushy.”
Kirsty snorted. “I think you’re forgetting I don’t tolerate it from students either.”
David shook his head, then squeezed her hand. “Let’s go, Kirsty. I like seeing you blush, though.”
Kirsty blushed deeper but attempted to follow him through, only for the both of them to bounce off the membrane. A comical “bloop,” resounded and multicolor ripples flickered over it before smoothing again to darkness. She sighed. “Maybe I’m not supposed to go yet? Or some spirit there has a problem with Mara or The Lady? Maybe something one of The Lady’s fragments did put all her priestesses on a blacklist.”
“Possible. I don’t have to go if you can’t.” David squeezed again.
“Or maybe you could take a rubbing for me.” Kirsty sighed.
“We’ll be away from the grounds. Phones and cameras might work there. We can try to get you some footage.”
“Or perhaps Ally might be able to get any spirits convinced you can be allowed… I’m not sure if any would interact with me.” David mused.
Kirsty kissed his nose. “Go ahead. I want to see, and if you can get a rubbing of those runes, maybe it will be something useful, or even explanatory.”
David nodded. “I’d rather have you with me, though.”
“Me too. Go ahead. Enjoy the fieldwork, maybe you’ll even find something useful to you too, Professor.”
Something in the way she said the title brought color to his pale face. David looked away while Thomas laughed.
“Alright then, we’ll go do some fieldwork for your research.” Thomas slipped through the portal. David followed after one last squeeze.
Kirsty settled herself down to wait, placing a hand on her stomach to settle it while she waited for the others. While she waited, she made an entry in her field journal and chewed a little ginger. The warm sun soothed her into another gentle nap, something that had become puzzlingly common the past few weeks.
---
In other news I am at 3/4 through "The Other Workers of Santa Claus" by Alexander Saunders in the current editing pass. Steps remaining will be a final proofread after the typesetting for both print and ebook layout, and the cover art.
Also posted at my Livejournal, DeviantArt, Tumblr, and Patreon. I need to catch the publishing blog up with the month's push.
---
Kirsty stood with her legs apart, hands on her hips, glaring at the portal in front of her. Or more accurately, it was supposed to be a portal. In reality, at least for her, it was more like a black condom stretched over a person sized rounded door frame.
“Ally, Thomas. You guys have got to be joking. WHAT DID YOU THREE DO?” Her fiery braids were starting to frizz with static electricity as she folded her arms, glaring through currently storm-sea-blue eyes.
“Not a thing other than casting it. You saw David pass through just fine.” Thomas widened his brown eyes and smiled. The wind tousled his blond hair.
“Why would we mess with the portal when we want to show you something?” Ally reasoned, patting the air. Her amber eyes held none of the mischief Kirsty might have expected. Ally’s own red hair rested lightly, only moving in the wind and not reacting to any sort of energetic buildup.
David came back through the portal, his black robes contrasting starkly with his ice-blue eyes and the long white hair he had tied behind him. “Is something wrong? It has been some time and none of you came through. I think I saw Kirsty bounce a few times? Possibly punch something?” He looked his wife over.
Kirsty threw up her hands and adjusted the sealskin hanging from her shoulders she kept disguised as a simple lamb cloak. “I cannot use that,” She pointed accusing at the portal lurking behind him. “It’s rejecting me or something.”
“Odd. It works just fine for me.” David frowned, then took a few steps closer to her. “It’s a rather nice glade with an interesting stone. I can’t read it, though. It looks like what your book is in.”
“She should be able to go through just fine. Let’s see.” Thomas walked through, waited a moment, and then returned to them. “No issues.”
Ally tried next and similarly met with no difficulty.
“Maybe she ought to hold your hand?” Thomas mused. I’m not sure why it would reject her.”
“Rather embarrassing that I appear to be the one out of four institution professors that can’t use this door.” Kirsty grumbled wryly. “I don’t mind trying that, though.”
“We could. I have no reason to not want to hold your hand.” David smiled at Kirsty.
Kirsty blushed and looked down.
“Been a few years and that still happens randomly.” Thomas smirked. “Good thing our students learn quickly that David won’t tolerate any students teasing Professor Blushy.”
Kirsty snorted. “I think you’re forgetting I don’t tolerate it from students either.”
David shook his head, then squeezed her hand. “Let’s go, Kirsty. I like seeing you blush, though.”
Kirsty blushed deeper but attempted to follow him through, only for the both of them to bounce off the membrane. A comical “bloop,” resounded and multicolor ripples flickered over it before smoothing again to darkness. She sighed. “Maybe I’m not supposed to go yet? Or some spirit there has a problem with Mara or The Lady? Maybe something one of The Lady’s fragments did put all her priestesses on a blacklist.”
“Possible. I don’t have to go if you can’t.” David squeezed again.
“Or maybe you could take a rubbing for me.” Kirsty sighed.
“We’ll be away from the grounds. Phones and cameras might work there. We can try to get you some footage.”
“Or perhaps Ally might be able to get any spirits convinced you can be allowed… I’m not sure if any would interact with me.” David mused.
Kirsty kissed his nose. “Go ahead. I want to see, and if you can get a rubbing of those runes, maybe it will be something useful, or even explanatory.”
David nodded. “I’d rather have you with me, though.”
“Me too. Go ahead. Enjoy the fieldwork, maybe you’ll even find something useful to you too, Professor.”
Something in the way she said the title brought color to his pale face. David looked away while Thomas laughed.
“Alright then, we’ll go do some fieldwork for your research.” Thomas slipped through the portal. David followed after one last squeeze.
Kirsty settled herself down to wait, placing a hand on her stomach to settle it while she waited for the others. While she waited, she made an entry in her field journal and chewed a little ginger. The warm sun soothed her into another gentle nap, something that had become puzzlingly common the past few weeks.
---
In other news I am at 3/4 through "The Other Workers of Santa Claus" by Alexander Saunders in the current editing pass. Steps remaining will be a final proofread after the typesetting for both print and ebook layout, and the cover art.