Alphabet drabble challenge!

C is for Compromise - Hrugga and Hragga

“I don’t want to go back to being a leg-breaker,” Hrugga said, frowning at her sister.

“I don’t either, Hru, that’s not what this is,” came Hragga’s reply.

“It’d be working for the Goat again, and...we’re doing something good with the militia. I worry we would be serving his interests, not everyone’s. Why not another counselor, if you want to go that way?”

“Look, Erylia is our past. And Walna, she’s our future,” Hragga explained. “But we live in the present, and Hruggek is the one who’s willing to do the things that need to be done.”

“I guess…”

P is for Parent - Aleyn



“So what’s it like being a parent?” Kallista tried to sound casual, but Aleyn could tell that it was something she’d been thinking about a lot.

“Well…” he said, “It’s hard to describe. Being responsible for someone else’s wellbeing, knowing they count on you to keep them safe and do what’s best for them. Then of course, there’s the practical side: dealing with various bodily fluids, going without sleep for long stretches. It’s a lot of work and responsibility, but in the end there’s nothing like it.”

“Sounds a lot like adventuring.” Kallista said, thoughtfully.

Aleyn snickered.

“Pretty much, yeah.”

It was a big responsibility to take a turn on watch. Even though he wouldn't be on his own, because Sir Dhenirigan would be with him, Mhireen was still a little nervous at this new responsibility. "If you feel like you need to go to bed, it's all right to say so," Vedran told him, and added "I'm very proud of you."

"Not to worry," Dheni replied cheerfully. "I'm sure the young master won't shirk his duty. Will you, lad?"

"No," Mhireen said, trying to sound confident and brave. "I'll keep a good look-out." He certainly wasn't tired, at least.

Mhireen sat quietly, listening to Dheni's story - an expurgated version of his more youthful travels in Ahkas - and peering out into the darkness. He was a good boy, well-behaved and sensible despite his young age, and he was clearly taking his duties as a page seriously. Spending time with him made Dheni wistful for other children he had cared for, now grown and gone, and for those he had never had. Still, he reflected, it was a good feeling as an old man to have a child, any child, look up to you and ask, "What happened next?"

X is for XXX

Alia's hand wavered as she waved the knife towards Beryl.

"You go first – you c'n be X."

The little grid was freshly carved into the table, but it was Alia's bar and she could do what she wanted. Beryl, more sober, smiled indulgently and made a little cross in one corner.

The game played out quickly, with Beryl the victor. "I think losing at tic tac toe has to be pretty high up there on the drunk scale," she teased.

"Lose?" Alia leered, running her finger along the winning line. "I think triple x means we're both about to win."

G is for Glass

Ciryl stood back and smiled as Tavya showed the potential customers around the factory showroom. She was going on now about how his process allowed for larger sheets of uniformly thick glass, and how it was singlehandedly responsible for the innovation in architectural design that Highmark was experiencing currently. He thought that was an overstatement. There were certainly other factors involved, and most architects hadn’t yet moved beyond purely aesthetic applications. But things were changing – their next appointment was to discuss glazing for a new greenhouse at The Arbor – and this slow and quiet revolution was just about his speed.

It had taken several days, but Kallista had warmed up to the tiefling. Their first conversations had been awkward and halting, but she soon found that Tishku was both eager and curious, and loved listening to her ramble on about her misadventures. The girl reminded her a lot of herself; eager, headstrong, and ready to make a difference, but with far more social savvy than Kallista would ever have.

“You know,” Tishku said, one night over dinner, “You’ve been a big inspiration to lots of tieflings at the Union.”

Kallista blinked, genuinely surprised.

“Seriously?”

“Seriously.” Tishku blushed slightly. “Including me.”

N is for Nap - Any of the kids

Macen wasn't tired. Mama Ardith had put him down fifteen minutes ago, but trance just wouldn't come.

"Pssst!"

He looked and saw Saiya peering over the edge of the bed.

"You tired?" She asked. Macen shook his head. "Me neither. C'mon!"

Soon they were seated in the corner, Macen sitting attentively in Saiya's lap as she opened the storybook. She could already read pretty well, but she didn't need to for this one. Daddy Aleyn had read it to her so many times she knew it by heart.

As Macen leaned back against her she began.

"Once upon a time..."

B is for Beauty - Ardith


Ardith hummed quietly as she ran the brush through Saiya’s sandy locks. It was always a chore to keep the girl’s naturally frizzy hair untangled. Finally she managed to get it sufficiently smoothed before picking up the ribbons to secure the girl’s pigtails as usual.

“Can I wear it down today?” Saiya asked.

Ardith grimaced, knowing how knotted the child’s hair got when unrestrained.

“Why do you want it down, dear?”

Saiya shrugged.

“You wear your tendrils down. I want to be beautiful like you.”

Ardith’s heart caught in her throat.

“Sweetheart, you’re the most beautiful little girl I know.”

J is for Jitters

Kier had a hard time explaining why he felt so anxious accepting his mother's invitation to bring Cael over for tea. She'd promised the rest of the family would be out, it would be safe.

But she didn’t understand. He knew she was trying, and he loved her for it. But seeing Kier attached to a nobleman from a prestigious family was sure to have her imagining an impossible future. She couldn't let go of her dreams for her little girl.

Cael squeezed his hands. "I know who you really are. Nothing she can say will change that, I promise."

The passages of the hedge maze were wide - for a human. Maybe even wide for a bugbear. Not wide for a centaur. Ffianait took care as she proceeded to avoid the thorny walls as best as she could, but a few scrapes were unavoidable. Particularly where doors were concerned. Isha scurried through the narrow archway, then looked back to see her companion eyeing it doubtfully. "Will it be all right? I could turn you into a tanuki if that would help..."

"Nah," Ffianait said, bracing herself for more scratched flanks. "I've been in tighter spots than this."

Z is for Zygote - Brenn/Kallista


“What the hell is that thing?” Brenn asked as the speck in the distance flew towards the airship.

Kallista lowered her spyglass with a sigh. “Fuck. It’s a Zygote.”

“A what?”

Kallista shrugged.

“It’s like… if a griffin had a baby with a goat and then dunked it in slime and acid. Haven’t you ever read a Monster Manual?”

“Honey, I’m not an adventurer.”

“No excuses.” Kallista said with a grin as she leaned over and gave him a kiss. She drew her sword and signaled the ship guards to move towards the forecastle.

“Wish us luck!” she said cheerfully.

K is for Knife - Any

“This is a knife,” Mhireen said matter-of-factly.

“Quite,” Dheni replied indulgently, pacing out a decent distance from his charge.

“I mean, it’s not a sword. It’s not even a real knife. It’s made of wood.” The drow child’s tone grew slightly more upset.

“One begins with the basics,” Dheni intoned.

“There’s no such thing as a ‘knifemage’,” Mhireen said finally, with a sigh.

“Oh? I do believe your father might beg to differ,” the elderly knight responded, eyebrow raised.

Mhireen blushed. He took his stance, the knife behind, hand raised in front of him. At his nod, the training began.

"It could be vicious," Amylia cautioned, holding Macen’s hand tightly. "You shouldn’t get close to it."

"It’s probably just scared," Saiya protested. "Maybe it doesn’t have a mommy and daddies to take care of it, and it’s hungry and alone."

"Let it be," Amylia said more sternly. But she got distracted when Edric started crying and Saiya was able to sneak away, clutching a scrap of chicken from her lunch.

"Here, kitty or whatever you are," she whispered, crouching beside the rustling bushes. "This is for you."

After a moment, a tentative black paw reached out and took the offering.

F is for Friendly Fire - Liriel

“I-I-I’m really g-getting tired of b-being hit by by cold storms and lightning bolts,” Ffianait stuttered through chattering teeth, giving Liriel a dirty look across the campsite. “I thought she was a w-wizard, not a wild m-mage.”

“Warryn’s old group has a wild mage,” Magcaryn offered. “Aleyn’s nowhere near this bad; he just kind of pushes people occasionally. It’s like she’s never heard the term ‘friendly fire.’”

Those around the campfire cast a quick glance to where Liriel lay, facing away from the others.

“I think that would require her to understand the term ‘friendly,’” Ffianait mused grumpily.

The ritual had been successful, but it still didn’t quite feel real to any of them. “Maybe when the bump starts to show,” Aleyn mused that evening.

“Maybe when I start to feel tired and sick,” Ardith countered.

“Maybe when the baby actually gets here,” Vedran teased his spouses. “Then we’ll believe it.”

“What do you think?” Ardith wondered. “A little girl this time, maybe, with Aleyn’s hair and Vedran’s freckles…”

“Hopefully Vedran’s nose,” Aleyn added with a self-deprecating smile.

Vedran worried about what people would say, but he smiled back nevertheless. “As long as everyone’s healthy, it’ll be perfect.”

C is for Changes - Agyness

“Sir, that’s a job for a sergeant, at best,” Haaginth, Agyness’s aide, stated officiously. “We can find a suitable unit for the task.”

Agyness sighed, hating for a moment the expectations of her rank. She was still getting used to having so little time in the field again. Living in Nachtur was so...different.

“Well, my people would be happy to handle it,” Alephos offered, favoring Agyness with a wink. “Maybe when the general has some time off…” The accompanying smile promised more action than just a good fight.

Agyness held in a grin and nodded. Change could be good.

U is for Unicorn - Samitharidan or Charlie



“Woooow… he’s beautiful!”

Kallista had never seen a unicorn before, and she approached Charlie cautiously.

“Man, I should get him some carrots. Does he like carrots?”

Sami cocked his head at the tielfing.

“Why don’t you ask him?”

Kallista laughed.

“Sami, I know you’re telepathic and all, but I don’t speak horse.”

“Neither do I.” Charlie said with a flick of his ears and a roll of his eyes.

Kallista squeeked in alarm and jumped backwards.

“OmigodsI’msosorry!” she muttered, hands over her mouth.

“Meh, don’t worry about it,” Charlie said, ”It was worth it for the look on your face.”

A is for Adventure - Kallista

“Awwww, c’mon, Aleyn. We’re going on an adventure again! Finally! We have to go drinking tonight! It’s tradition!”

Aleyn frowned at the excited tiefling.

“Kallista, this isn’t an adventure. It’s a diplomatic mission. Besides, I have a family now. I can’t just go gallivanting around all night long. It’s not fair to Vedran and Ardith.”

“Pleeeeease? Just a few drinks? I haven’t had the chance to hang out with you in months.”

“Kallista I said n…”

He turned and saw her giant yellow eyes pleading, her mouth pouting in disappointment.

“I…. Fine. Just… please keep your shirt on this time.”

Thruik rolled over in the night to find Delona sitting up, hands folded across her belly. "Everything okay?" he asked sleepily.

"I don't remember having a mother," she said quietly. "What if I don't do it right?"

He put his hand over hers. "You know lots of mothers you could talk to, if you wanted. My mother, or Ardith, or, uh, Shirin who runs the bakery down the street..."

Del gave him a Look that said he wasn't helping matters, so he changed course. "There isn't just one way to be a parent 'right'. You'll be fine. No, we will."

Kallista was glad to be on Highmark's solid ground again, after the latest run on the Highwind. She'd spent last night catching up with Brenn, and had plans with Tavya tomorrow, but for now she was taking time for herself, which she was using to get a chocolate pastry. Rounding the corner to the café, she ran straight into a tall tiefling. "Sorry!"

"Excuse me... Oh, Kallista! Good to see you again."

"Hi, Tower. How are you?"

"Fine," he smiled. "I'm meeting my wife for lunch. Would you care to join us?"

This time she didn't hesitate. "I'd love to."

"Are you sure he meant it?" Aleyn peered out the carriage window nervously.

"He said 'bring your family,'" said Vedran. "My father doesn't use words accidentally; he knows what that means. If he had just meant Ardith, he would have said 'bring Ardith.' He was inviting you and the children, even if he didn't say it outright."

Aleyn didn't look completely convinced. The children were in a second carriage with their nursemaids, being too energetic and numerous now to be contained in a single vehicle with their parents, but the sounds of their boisterous voices were still audible.

Ardith took Aleyn's hand. "Jesseryn's not that terrifying."

"Easy for you to say," he muttered. Ardith gave a rueful smile.

"Besides," Vedran added, "Minalda is away." He left unsaid that Aleyn wouldn't have been included otherwise. "It's just an informal lunch and a chance for the kids to play in the garden. There is really, truly, nothing to worry about."

"We'll be with you the whole time," said Ardith.

"What if he talks to me? Or doesn't?"

"Which would be worse?" asked Vedran, smiling slightly.

"Either. I don't know."

"It'll be fine," Ardith said for the hundredth time.

L - L is for Law - Any


“I hope we can count on your vote for the upcoming appropriations bill,” The older man said with a friendly smile, “We’ve put a lot of effort into ensuring it expands the scope of several goblinoid centered government institutions.”

“You certainly did,” Brenn replied, “And you also managed to de-fund those same institutions with that last minute rider you attached.”

The counselor's smile faded.

“Counselor Factore, the older members of the council may be too busy or self-important to read the measures that they vote on, but I made my name as a merchant. I always read the fine print.”

"I understand you're a follower of Sehanine." Jesseryn had made a point of learning as much as he could about Vinalia Falrin, but he expected she had done the same concerning him.

The young woman smiled up at him. "Do you understand?" she inquired playfully.

"How... observant are you?"

She admired the care with which he'd phrased the question, but chose to address its surface meaning. "I typically attend one or two ceremonies a month. Are you asking me to stop, or did you want to join me?"

"Neither," he replied. "I'd simply ask that you confine yourself to observing."

Q is for Questions

Ffianait eyed her. "So you had a lot of babies as a tanuki?"

Isha nodded, a smile curling the edge of her lips. "More than I could count. I never thought about it at the time, you know, that's just what life was – finding mates, taking care of myself and my babies. The little ones grew up and went off, and I just had more."

"Do you miss them?"

"I miss that stage of my life, sometimes."

The centaur smirked. "And your mates?"

Isha's eyes sparkled. "There is something male tanuki have that no one else can measure up to."