Sunday Snippet: Juvenile Behavior

Welcome, October. It's been a week with a lot of ups and downs. Work went well and I got a bunch of projects close to being finished. My middle kid needed some help navigating a challenging week of appointments and mild setbacks with health care.

Not a bad week of television either. I caught two episodes of Prime Suspect. Finished up season three and started season four. Four begins single episodes and I'm looking forward to diving in.

Watched two episodes of Peak Practice. Both were pretty interesting and I like where season five is going.

Finished up Master Class with LeVar Burton and started a new course with Brandon McMillan about training dogs.

Completed Inside the Episodes: The Witcher and I'm looking forward to season two so much right now. To tide myself over, I'm going to watch the making of the series next.

Enjoyed watching Adele: Homecoming. I loved getting some insight into how she got her start and how she creates her music.

Started watching Classic Rugrats with the first episode about Tommy's birthday. I'll look forward to getting back into this show for the sheer nostalgia.

Watched two episodes of Chicago Med. Both ended up making me emotional and all teary-eyed. I love this show!

Enjoyed another The Brokenwood Mysteries. Poor Mike being out of commission made an interesting dynamic change.

Started season thirteen of Silent Witness and vaguely remember the episode. The insurance adjuster woman is the reason. Her obnoxiousness rubbed me wrong the first time around also. I mean I literally want to slap her, she's that annoying.

Also began a new episode of Blue Heelers. This one should prove to be interesting and I have a feeling helicopter parents will be the reason.

Caught a two-part arc of Classic Who. Actually enjoyed it for the most part, even the hints about a possible return of the Master.

Watched another episode of UFO Conspiracies. This one had a focus on cold-climate sightings. A neat spin on the usual fare.

Got two more episodes of The Muppet Show in with John Denver and Crystal Gayle as the guest stars. Season four is officially underway.

Caught another episode of Star Trek: Discovery. A lot going on in this one and I liked getting some additional insight in the second in command. I don't have all the names down yet.

Enjoyed an episode of Artist to Icon. This one featured Whitney Houston and I learned a few things I didn't know about her career. I'll probably stick to musicians for this series.

Finally, I caught an episode of Midsommer Murders. Hannah Waddington guest-starred and the episode ended up being such a good one.

That's it for television this week. Tonight's post is from Juvenile Behavior, a novella that features a long-standing rivalry between two families and the resolution with the new generation.

Here's the mini-blurb:

Freddie and Owen, top adepts putting cadets through their paces at the Mage Academy, are very much in love but refuse to act on their attraction. But when the Mage Principal has enough of their antics, he strips them of their rank and tenure and pushes them to act like grown-ups instead of juvenile delinquents.

And a preview snippet…

Owen used the heavy brass knocker on the oak door. He waited several long moments before an older woman in a starched gray maid's uniform greeted him.

She arched her eyebrows. "May I help you, sir?"

Owen gave her his best smile. "Is Mr. Radd in and available?" He'd taken a chance and stopped by instead of making an appointment.

The maid gave him a long look. "May I say who's calling?" Her lips pressed into a thin line of disapproval.

Owen hesitated but opted for the truth. "Owen Parker. I'm an instructor at the academy where his niece also—"

The woman cut him off. "Freddie." Her face transformed, going from bored disdain to joyfully animated. "Er, I mean Ms. Rudd, of course." Her hands smoothed the already impeccable apron.

Owen bit back a grin. "Yes, my visit concerns her."

The maid stepped back and ushered Owen inside. "Please, come in." She held out a hand. "I'm Mrs. Hasher, but please call me Helen." She added a wide smile of welcome

Owen clasped her palm. "Thank you, Helen. I'm sorry to just drop in, but I have something important to discuss with Mr. Rudd."

Helen shook her head. "I'll show you through. How's she doing?" From her tone, the love she had for Freddie came through loud and clear.

She started walking through the corridor and Owen followed her.

Helen chattered on. "I've missed having her around. I used to work for her parents until they died." A slight catch in her voice indicated more to the story.

Owen hoped he'd get to hear it someday.

He answered her original question. "Freddie's doing great. She's amazing with her students." He paused and added on something more personal. "Of course, she's still pushing envelopes and challenging rules."

Helen glanced over her shoulder with a sly grin. "Sounds just like her." She sobered. "Before. She lost a lot of her zest for life after the accident." Her eyes went dark and stormy. "Didn't help that her horrible uncle treated her. The man completely neglected Freddie." Her face brightened. "I'll happily show you in now."

Pushing open the doors, the crafty older woman waved Owen inside the study.

Mr. Rudd glanced upward and frowned. "What's the meaning of this?" His fist clenched and he hissed for Helen to leave.

Owen blinked at the rude countenance. The man is visibly pissed because he's been interrupted from ... lounging in front of the fire going on two in the afternoon?

Straightening his robe, he rose from the sofa. "Who are you and what do you want?"

Owen lifted his chin. "Owen Parker. I'm here to discuss your niece."

Helen is such a great character and Owen will come to discover having her on Freddie's side is a huge check in the plus column.

 

That's it for this week.

Cheers!

Skye

Sunday Snippet: Juvenile Behavior

As someone with family and friends who have served or are serving in the military, I'd like to thank all of our service members for their courage, sacrifices, and efforts. Thank you.

It's been a rough week with two difficult manuscripts and the end of daylight savings. Seriously, I've been all out of sorts and my internal clock hasn't caught up yet. LOL

I didn't get a lot of television in this week—see above for why—but I did stay current on usual shows. The Last Ship killed off another of my faves, which means I'm trying to prepare for a high body count in the finale. A box of tissues and alcohol might be involved. Just saying.

Arrow kicked some butt. I'm kind of liking the flash forward stuff, especially because the flashbacks are a thing of the past for the most part. I'll give kudos to Stephen, Emily, and Katie because I think they're doing some stellar work. The rest of the cast is on point also. Riverdale's Midnight Club episode rocked. The more batshit this show gets the more I seem to enjoy it. And it's definitely over the top.

Legends of Tomorrow keeps delivering great episodes. I'm always excited to see who's going to interact with whom. The constantly changing dynamic of the cast is so much fun.

I did catch an episode of The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency and, honestly, I love this show. It's going to go down as one of my favorite viewing experiences. I also caught an episode of Classic Who and finished up an episode of Midsomer Murders.

That's it on the television front. Tonight's post is from Juvenile Behavior, a novella that started with a writing community prompt of using a magical setting with two top mages.

Here's the mini-blurb:

Freddie and Owen, top adepts putting cadets through their paces at the Mage Academy, are very much in love but refuse to act on their attraction. But when the Mage Principal has enough of their antics, he strips them of their rank and tenure and pushes them to act like grown-ups instead of juvenile delinquents.

And a preview snippet…

Freddie Radd burst through the doors of the Mage Academy and stopped to drag air into her lungs after the hard run from the lower dormitory bathing suite.

Owen Parker followed hot on her heels. "That… was so much fun!" He caught her hand in his and dragged her toward the gardens east of the quad.

Freddie breathed a sigh of relief. Sometimes Owen let regret bite him on the ass before they even finished one of their practical jokes on the cadets. Their latest—exploding confetti bombs in the shower heads—had been a stroke of genius. The squeals and cursing worth hiding in a cramped laundry bin to view their handiwork.

Confetti almost topped glitter for being difficult to get rid of.

Sharing her brainstorm with Owen and pulling it off made her entire day and Freddie danced on the edge of being happy, almost forgetting she and Owen would never be. The euphoria never lasted long. She always crashed back down when the hard truth smacked her in the face. Owen Parker could be her best friend and fellow instructor but never her lover. No matter how attracted they were to each other.

Stupid family feuds.

Owen snapped his fingers. "Hey, come on. Come back to me." He gave her a long, questioning look.

Freddie smiled and shoved the melancholy aside. "Sorry, what's next?" Owen got to choose their final adventure for the day.

His lips curved in a triumphant smirk. "We're going to do something no one has done in over two decades." Reaching into his pack, he retrieved a bottle of Amberlane, a potent alcohol distilled with magick.

Freddie's eyes went wide. "Where did you get that?" The golden elixir topped the list of contraband adepts always sought.

Oh… they could have some fun with that liquor.

Owen waggled his eyebrows. "Sometimes it pays to have an inside connection."

Yeah, it did. Owen's great-grandfather cofounded the Mage Academy and his family still held authority. Unlike hers—who got shoved aside in a power play.

Which made her acceptance to the academy at age twelve and her subsequent position as an instructor something to shock the board… and set the rumor mill to overload.

Freddie didn't care about the drama. She'd proven herself on merit by working harder than anyone else. Except maybe Owen. He walked a fine line between upholding the family name and making one for himself.

A brilliant idea flashed in her mind. "Let's go to the maze." The constant changing layout never failed to entertain.

Owen stared in her direction. "You know the side effects to Amberlane, don't you?"

Oh, yes. She did. Maybe she'd have lucid waking dreams of really hot sex with him.

Giving him a nod, she grabbed his hand. "Of course. What's the worst that can happen?" She started for the entrance of the maze, dragging him along. "Let's go."

I'm having fun with this story. Friends to lovers is a favorite trope and I love the family drama on top of everything.

That's it for this week.

Cheers!

Skye

Sunday Snippet: Juvenile Behavior

Well, the big super bowl game is on tonight and I’m watching a Star Trek Next Gen marathon instead. LOL Don't get me wrong, we still have all the food and trimmings, like WAY more than we need, but with several televisions in the house, the game can be merrily playing in the kitchen and living room while I hunker down in my writing cave and watch something totally different. If anything really exciting happens, the family will let me know. :D

So, next week The Walking Dead returns and I'm not sure if I'm super-excited or not. I think I am, but won't know until I see the new episode. And Bitten is coming soon, February 15 on Syfy. Definitely excited for more of that show.

My usual shows all had great episodes. I completely forgot to mention The Magicians in last week's post, but I'm seriously liking that show. And Lost Girl is in its final run of episodes. I've seen the way it ends and I'm definitely watching the last hurrah. I hope another show with fae-releated characters turns up sometime.

The Flash ended up surprising me, which I'm always thrilled to have happen. Arrow also threw in an interesting reveal and I'm speculating like mad now. Legends of Tomorrow mixed up the teams and I'm down with them doing that on a regular basis.

Agent Carter has such a great mix of humor and tension. I almost wish there could be a longer season, but I'm also kind of happy with the brevity, mainly because the writing stays pretty focused and doesn't dart off on too many tangents.

Last but not least, The X-Files had one of those instant classic episodes that I could watch over and over again. I can't wait to talk to my brother about it. Teen Wolf, again, feels rather choppy, but I've been thinking about that and have come to the conclusion it's supposed to feel that way, especially since the creepy doctors can warp time, or whatever it is they do. So yeah, I just needed to have that last little piece click into place. LOL

And that's it for television this week.

Tonight's post is from Juvenile Behavior, a novella that started with a wild hair idea and has blossomed into an old family feud that needs to be settled by my main characters.

Here's the mini-blurb:

Freddie and Owen, top Adepts putting cadets through their paces at the Mage Academy, are very much in love, but refuse to act on their attraction. But when the Mage Principal has enough of their antics, he strips them of their rank and tenure and pushes them to act like grown-ups instead of juvenile delinquents.

And the preview snippet…

Orville Parker glared in his son's direction. Owen tried to muster up an appropriate response… but hell, he'd had too much fun to even try and deny the charges his father made. Cooling his heels in the maze with Freddie had been worth finishing off the bottle of Amberlane, even though the potent alcohol had been banned since the elder Parker's days at the Mage Academy. The stuff went down smooth but packed quite a punch, and sometimes the amber liquid induced hallucinations and could also trigger a dormant ability. Still, nothing his dad could say would change Owen's mind.

"You're both barred from classes."

Except that. Owen wouldn't stand to have something he'd achieved taken away because he'd actually gone and had fun for once. He opened his mouth to protest.

Freddie beat him to the punch. "Are you insane? You can't lose your two best instructors."

Ha, best argument yet. "Yeah, what she said." Owen held his dad's gaze. "Who else do you have on the roster that can teach new cadets how to master the gyroscope with their minds?" Exactly no one.

Orville shrugged. "We'll get by. You two aren't getting back into a study room until you've cleaned up your acts."

Freddie snorted. "What's to clean up? We have the highest percentage of cadets who make it through. No one else is even close."

Orville acknowledged her words with a brief nod. "True. But…" He paused. "When my top two Adepts are acting like recalcitrant teenagers, something must be done about it. And treating you like the age group in question seems a good place to start."

Owen didn't like the inference. "Since when does blowing off steam get lumped in with juvenile behavior?" Geez, his dad needed to relax a little.

The elder Parker lifted a brow. "Invisible shaving cream in the west corridor…" He held up a finger. "Levitating candelabras in the chapel." He added a second. "Exploding confetti balloons in the main bathing suite. Cheap parlor tricks are beneath Adepts at your level." His hand slammed down onto the heavy oak of the desk. "You're supposed to set the example. The cadets follow your lead. You're the grown-ups." He growled. "Act like it, dammit."

Owen didn't have an argument, except… "Look, Dad, no one got hurt. That should count for something."

Freddie chimed in again. "Damn straight. Do you have any idea how much skill it takes to pull off half the stuff we did without putting anyone in the healing chambers?"

Orville shot her a blistering look.

She lifted a shoulder. "Okay, stupid question. Of course, you do." She met his gaze. "What do you want from us here?"

Orville rose from the edge of the desk. "Sixty days probation where you two have to refrain from doing any kind of spell casting or conjuring." He held up a hand to stop any protests. "If you refuse, that's it. You lose all privileges and any tenure you've gained."

Freddie gasped. Owen didn't blame her, the punishment didn't quite seem to fit juvenile role his dad had cast them in. But… the man had a point, even if Owen hated to admit it.

He stood. "Fine. What do you suggest Freddie and I do to alleviate stress and tension?"

Orville lifted a brow. "You've got sixty days to figure it out. And I if I have to explain the myriad of methods you can use to bust boredom, you can't be my kid."

Freddie chuckled then laughed outright. Owen blinked and looked at his dad a little closer. The man couldn't be serious. Except… yes, he could.

Well, hell's bells. He'd be happy to oblige his old man.

Shrugging, Owen reached out and grabbed Freddie's hand, hauling her out of the chair. "Let's go, Freddie. I'm pretty sure we can figure out some grown up stuff to do."

Freddie smirked. "Sixty days, right? Yeah, plenty of time to get and be creative." Turning, she gave Orville a backhanded wave. "Just remember, you're the one who made this rather grand suggestion."

Oh, if only having fun would be that easy. LOL But Freddie and Owen have an uphill battle to wage.

That's it for this week.

Cheers!

Skye

Sunday Snippet: Juvenile Behavior

Hi!

Oh wow, gorgeous weather today and I got to spend the whole day outside enjoying it! Seriously, it's so great to have an actual spring season. Usually we go from really crisp and cold to horribly hot and humid within a twenty-four hour period. Mild temps and lovely breezes are a total win. :D

I'm spending my night with my new TV boyfriends, Stonebridge and Scott, from Strike Back. And you know, Baxter is pretty kick ass, too. Only one more episode of the third season to mainline and then I get to play the waiting game for the fourth. Maybe I'll have to rewatch the episodes a couple of times to make the wait more bearable. :D And hey, I have two more eps of Arrow, so there's that. J

Tonight's post is from Juvenile Behavior, a short story where my two characters spend a lot of time doing silly things to avoid acting on their attraction. The Principle Mage reaches his boiling point and decides to force their hand. :D He also happens to be Owen's dad, so it's a fun dynamic to write.

Here's the tagline:

Freddie and Owen, top Adepts putting cadets through their paces at the Mage Academy, are very much in love, but refuse to act on their attraction. But when the Mage Principal has enough of their antics, he strips them of their rank and tenure and pushes them to act like grown-ups instead of juvenile delinquents.

And here's the preview snippet:

Orville Parker glared in his son's direction. Owen tried to muster up an appropriate response…but hell, he'd had too much fun to even try and deny the charges his father made. Cooling his heels in the maze with Freddie had been worth finishing off the bottle of Amberlane, even though the potent alcohol had been banned since the elder Parker's days at the Mage Academy. The stuff went down smooth but packed quite a punch, and sometimes the amber liquid induced hallucinations and could also trigger a dormant ability. Still, nothing his dad could say would change Owen's mind.

"You're both barred from classes."

Except that. Owen wouldn't stand to have something he'd achieved taken away because he'd actually gone and had fun for once. He opened his mouth to protest.

Freddie beat him to the punch. "Are you insane? You can't lose your two best instructors."

Ha, best argument yet. "Yeah, what she said." Owen held his dad's gaze. "Who else do you have on the roster that can teach new cadets how to master the gyroscope with their minds?" Exactly no one.

Orville shrugged. "We'll get by. You two aren't getting back into a study room until you've cleaned up your acts."

Freddie snorted. "What's to clean up? We have the highest percentage of cadets who make it through. No one else is even close."

Orville acknowledged her words with a brief nod. "True. But…" He paused. "When my top two Adepts are acting like recalcitrant teenagers, something must be done about it. And treating you like the age group in question seems a good place to start."

Owen didn't like the inference. "Since when does blowing off steam get lumped in with juvenile behavior?" Geez, his dad needed to relax a little.

The elder Parker lifted a brow. "Invisible shaving cream in the west corridor…" He held up a finger. "Levitating candelabras in chapel." He added a second. "Exploding confetti balloons in the main bathing suite. Cheap parlor tricks and beneath Adepts at your level." His hand slammed down onto the heavy oak of the desk. "You're supposed to set the example. The cadets follow your lead. You're the grown-ups." He growled. "Act like it, dammit."

Owen didn't have an argument, except… "Look, Dad, no one got hurt. That should count for something."

Freddie chimed in again. "Damn straight. Do you have any idea how much skill it takes to pull off half the stuff we did without putting anyone in the healing chambers?"

Orville shot her a blistering look.

She lifted a shoulder. "Okay, stupid question. Of course you do." She met his gaze. "What do you want from us here?"

Orville rose from the edge of the desk. "Sixty days probation where you two have to refrain from doing any kind of spell casting or conjuring." He held up a hand to stop any protests. "If you refuse, that's it. You lose all privileges and any tenure you've gained."

Freddie gasped. Owen didn't blame her, the punishment didn't quite seem to fit juvenile role his dad had cast them in. But…the man had a point, even if Owen hated to admit it.

He stood. "Fine. What do you suggest Freddie and I do to alleviate stress and tension?"

Orville lifted a brow. "You've got sixty days to figure it out. And I if I have to explain the myriad of methods you can use to bust boredom, you can't be my kid."

Freddie chuckled then laughed outright. Owen blinked and looked at his dad a little closer. The man couldn't be serious. Except…yes, he could.

Well, hell's bells. He'd be happy to oblige his old man.

Shrugging, Owen reached out and grabbed Freddie's hand, hauling her out of the chair. "Let's go, Freddie. I'm pretty sure we can figure out some grown up stuff to do."

Freddie smirked. "Sixty days, right? Yeah, plenty of time to get and be creative." Turning, she gave Orville a backhanded wave. "Just remember, you're the one who made this rather grand suggestion."

The sages tell me Orville may have opened a can of magic he didn't quite want. LOL

That's it for this week.

Cheers!

Skye