Sunday Snippet: Various Reasons

Still chugging along on various work projects, but I'm at the in-between stages on a few. I like having some free time to focus on writing.

Not a bad week for viewing television. I had to create a workaround for one of the shows I watch, but I'm happy I managed to remember how to set things up.

Caught another episode of Fantasy Island and, wow, I love the unexpected surprise. I'm cautiously optimistic the reveal won't trash things between Elena and Rafael. I'm not holding my breath though. One of the writers is known to mess things up to ramp up the angst factor.

Watched another episode of Strangest Things. I'm always interested in the ancient things they review, but I'm also fascinated by the crazy contraptions featured.

Enjoyed another episode of Classic Rugrats. The puns and play on words are always fun. One of the greatest things about this show is the appeal to all age groups.

I finally finished the Passionflix original, Resisting Roots. I ended up really liking this one. It's not quite as steamy as some of the other movies, but I'm okay with that.

Caught another episode of Madame Blanc Mysteries. Enjoyed this one. Very glad Dom is back in good form.

Watched another episode of Cannes Confidential. I love this show! Camille and Harry are fun, and the underlying, sinister vibe is present but also subtle. Such a great show.

Continued my rewatch of Battlestar Galactica. This week we did a double header of "Resurrection Ship Part One and Two". The next few episodes are solid, but the show stumbles a little leading up to the season two finale. Too many threads that needed some loving care got dropped.

I also started another episode of Peak Practice and need to finish that one up later tonight.

That's it for this week's life update. Tonight's post is from Various Reasons, a novella that explores whether it matters if the timing is perfect to make a commitment.

Here's the mini-blurb:

Paloma and Cedric keep putting off thinking or talking about the future—they've got a fae war on their hands, but after a particularly ugly skirmish, Paloma decides it's time to open the topic for discussion. Cedric is so shocked, he's not quite sure he believes her, but once Paloma gets through the list of various reasons, he's close to getting on board.

And a preview snippet…

Cedric made his way to the private bath in the office of the old subway terminal. "Not like Paloma to give up bragging time." He tugged his shirt off, wincing at the putrid aroma then stripped off his jeans and bagged them up to destroy.

Turning the water on, he stepped under the blast of welcome heat against his aching body. Unwinding from the battle, he finally gave his concern free rein. Paloma had been a little off tonight. Maybe she got injured and didn't want to tell him.

He paused after grabbing a washcloth. "Or maybe she's ready to call it quits." His gut churned at the thought.

But … he'd dragged her into the fray. She'd been happy going about her daily grind and never using her gifts. She'd followed him to the league when he'd pointed out they needed people to hold the line after the blood scribe died without a successor.

Realistically, the league edged ever closer to putting a hierarchy in place. At a snail-crawl pace. Paloma had been patient, sticking by his side and having his back. For five years. How much longer would she be willing to wait?

He couldn't lose her. Not now. He created a long list of various reasons he needed her to stick around.

Soaping up his washcloth, he started at the top of his head. "First and foremost … can't imagine life without her." She'd become a part of him … the best part.

Sloshing the terrycloth over his shoulders, he added two more items. "She's smart and funny, an incredible combination." Brains and humor could be such a turn-on.

He added more soap and started on his torso. "She keeps me sane on bad days and on good days, she brings the crazy fun times." No one got him like she did.

She understood the drive to keep the peace. Her sense of fair play kept her in the battle when others would've walked a long time ago. And her innate talent elevated everyone in the cause.

He loved being with her. Loved everything she brought to their relationship. Loved…

Pausing mid-scrub, he blinked. "I love her." More than his own life.

He wanted forever with her.

Shaking his head, he finished and rinsed off. "Forever could end tomorrow." Especially if Paloma walked.

He'd have to convince her what a terrible idea that would be.

Drying off, he found some clean clothes and fought the unsettled coil of tension in his stomach. He skipped writing up a report on their actions and went searching for a few important things to take up top. Halfway out the door, he turned back and dug through the desk drawer for one last item … a lighter, as promised.

Adding it to the small box, he headed for the door. "Time to make an impression."

This story is coming along nicely. Cedric keeps nudging me to go in a direction I didn't think I would, and I'm having fun seeing what he's trying to reveal.

 

That's it for this week.

Cheers!

Skye

Sunday Snippet: Various Reasons

Hello, September. The great office reorganization is coming along. If all goes well, I might have the bulk of the work complete by the end of the year. I'm very happy with how everything is going so far.

Not a bad week for television. I finished up the Danger Man episodes that were available. Not sure what I'll start on to replace this one yet.

Caught an episode of Picard and enjoyed it. I'm not quite sure what to make of the guy who's captaining the ship yet. I rather liked getting a little more Ravi backstory.

Watched two more episodes of Peak Practice. I'm getting to the end of the second season and, so far, still enjoying the episodes.

Finished Ms. Fisher's Modern Murder Mysteries. I'd really love to have another season of this show. I feel like the final episode had everyone coming into their own as characters. Maybe we'll get lucky.

Caught another arc of Classic Who. I think I might be ready to start the next season or I'm getting close.

That's it for this week. Tonight's post is from Various Reasons, a novella that got a start with a writing community prompt.

Here's the mini-blurb:

Paloma and Cedric keep putting off thinking or talking about the future—they've got a fae war on their hands, but after a particularly ugly skirmish, Paloma decides it's time to open the topic for discussion. Cedric is so shocked, he's not quite sure he believes her, but once Paloma gets through the list of various reasons, he's close to getting on board.

And a preview snippet…

What the hell is going on with Paloma?

Keeping a watchful eye on the next advancing hound, he flicked a quick look over his shoulder. Her stun batons at the ready, she moved warily and less fluidly than normal. The blades at the end of her stunners gleamed in the filtered light from the moon and street lamps.

He focused back on the riled dogs. "Sure you're good?" Did he miss something?

She'd tell him if she got injured. Wouldn't she? Yeah, they were a team. Injuries caused a disadvantage and they needed a razor-sharp edge to fell the final five.

She huffed out a response. "I'm good, yeah. Incoming, right and high." She jabbed the underbelly of a mottled white and black hound.

Cedric slashed with his blade and the beast dropped. In a frenzy now, two more came with snapping teeth and menacing growls. Saliva flew and a line of droplets landed on Cedric's glove, sizzling through the heavy material and opening up a pattern of holes. The protective layer did its job, keeping his skin from being burned.

Cedric flung the whip, snaking the end around the neck of the attacking fawn-colored animal then made a wide arc before releasing it against the building behind them. The second mutt darted around and faced Paloma. Her stun wand jabbed into its snout and the second baton, blade-end forward, finished the job.

A single duo remained and both snarled and frothed at the mouth and each crouched low to the ground. Paloma angled around, facing the beasts at his side. Her weapons charged and waiting, she gave a nod.

Cedric readied his whip. "I'll bring them forward. Let's finish this." He cracked the flayed tail above the heads of the dogs.

They leapt forward, teeth bared. Paloma jabbed her batons into the flanks of the shaggy, red animal a moment before it reached her. The dog got its paws on her shoulders and dug its nails into her vest, all feeling lost in its legs from the jolt of electricity. The weight of the hound dragged her to her knees. Cedric slashed out with his knife and caught his opponent on the underbelly, but only with a glancing slice. The dog spun in the air and countered, landing behind Cedric. He snapped out with his whip, coiling it around the beast's neck and jerked hard, twisting his wrist to end the threat. Paloma struggled with the red mutt, its dead weight keeping her down and its snarling snout in her face. She finally managed to get a hand free and spun her wand around to jab the demon dog in the throat.

Shoving the animal away from her, she rocked back on her haunches. "Geez, tell me the civilians got clear. I'm gagging from the stench here." Slowing getting to her feet, she heaved a sigh and grimaced.

Cedric shot a look toward the now-vacant bar the dogs had attacked. "We're clear." Threat averted, the adrenaline rush dissipated quickly leaving him drained and spent.

Paloma huffed out a laugh. "Thank whatever rules the universe." Her eyes closed and she staggered backward, her shoulders slumping forward.

Cedric swayed where he stood, ready to drop. The wind changed direction and he caught a whiff of something foul. His eyes watered and he broke out in a choking cough. Man … what a rank smell.

I like this couple. They're very casual until bam! One of them gets smacked with something other than the smelly creatures they're dealing with.

That's it for this week.

Cheers!

Skye

Sunday Snippet: Various Reasons

What an incredible episode of The Last Ship! I loved the whole storm at sea and the cat and mouse game with the Greek ships. My fingers are crossed nothing happens to Master Chief. I'll be very upset if he dies.

Teen Wolf brought back even more former Beacon Hills faces. I'm excited and a little melancholy about tonight's episode. I'll be totally thrilled if Monroe finally dies a spectacular death.

I'm four episodes in on The Defenders and pretty much love it so far. Even Danny isn't as annoying as I thought he'd be. Jessica and Luke make me happy. Not as a couple or anything, I just love their shorthand conversations. And, of course, Matt is pretty much my favorite, always.

Hawaii Five-0 is pretty terrific in season seven. I like the interactions and pretty much like Steve getting some closure with Katherine. I'm not even halfway through the season yet, but here's hoping the remaining episodes are as good.

Gotham returned! I completely missed the premiere date but got caught up the next day. I LOVED the first episode of the season. I'm thrilled the show seems to have found its footing and delivers great television on a consistent basis.

That's it for television this week. Tonight's post is from Various Reasons, a novella that started with the two-word prompt, "marry me".

Here's the mini-blurb:

Paloma and Cedric keep putting off thinking or talking about the future—they've got a fae war on their hands, but after a particularly ugly skirmish, Paloma decides it's time to open the topic for discussion. Cedric is so shocked, he's not quite sure he believes her, but once Paloma gets through the list of various reasons, he's close to getting on board.

And a preview snippet…

"Cedric! Four more coming your way."

Paloma Writhe shouted the warning to her partner, Cedric Waters. Hellhounds made for nasty opponents and groups of four closed in from all sides. Not the first time she and Ced got boxed in… and this time, they'd planned this little experiment, putting themselves in the line of fire to hopefully contain casualties.

"Get ready, Palo. Time to close the gap." Cedric eased backward, luring two of the snarling groups closer.

They formed a semicircle around him.

Paloma mimicked his maneuver, achieving the same result. "It's working, Ced. We've got them in the open but focused on us instead of civilian citizens." Their on the fly plan couldn't have come together any better.

The growling and snapping dogs closed in, pushing Paloma and Cedric into a back to back stance. Exactly what they'd hoped for. She and Cedric became a seamless fighting machine when they were pushed to their limit.

The top dog on Ced's side leapt forward and went flying when Cedric struck out with a whip. The resulting high-pitched yelp of pain incited the other hellhounds and they attacked en masse. Like a well-oiled machine, Paloma and Cedric countered every ferociously snapping jaw, vicious swipe of a talon-edged claw, and the noxious, foul-smelling drool that dripped from the jowls of the beasts.

The saliva contained an acidic paralytic that ate through clothing and numbed exposed skin. She and Cedric had prepared, wearing multiple layers and protective goggles and gloves. But… with a dozen attacking hounds, they wouldn't have long to battle.

Paloma focused on knocking back the largest mangy cur on her side of the line. Using a stun baton, she jabbed the tip into the lower throat of the huge hound. The animal shook with the shock of voltage then dropped to the ground.

She grunted with satisfaction. "Second one down. Ten to go." Circling with Cedric at her back, she primed the second baton, giving the first time to regain its charge.

Cedric lashed out with the whip, cracking it above the heads of two slathering black dogs. They cringed downward giving Ced the opportunity to slash the closest animal—a yellow-furred mutt with long fangs—with his blade. Blood spurted, spraying everything, including Paloma and Cedric.

He spun around again. "Gah. Another one gone, but the scent of blood will rile the rest." Using the whip, he gave them a little more room to maneuver.

Paloma bit back a laugh. As if the metallic aroma could cut through the stench of the hounds. Her nostrils burned with the disgusting fumes.

But… the adrenaline rush… nothing topped it. Especially with Cedric along for the ride. Paloma ducked a flying mass of fur and popped back up to spin around again, giving Cedric room to use the whip. She didn't have to think about where to be or what to do, instinct from being Cedric's partner now fully ingrained.

For five years, they'd been a team. Working together first then moving in together two years ago. They shared a life—or what resembled one in the brewing fae skirmishes that bordered on all-out war. The blood scribe died without naming an heir and four different factions battled for control of the fae realm.

If she and Cedric beat the hellhounds, the vying groups would be down to three. The shifters couldn't win if they didn't have their demon dogs. And the packs tended to be neutral because they had their own hierarchy to follow. Made the job easier.

If only it made being a couple easier.

She did not just have that thought. Okay, she did. I've been fighting something more permanent because who the hell knows how this shit show is going to end? Did it really matter?

No. No, it didn't.

Paloma froze for a moment. Holy shit. She wanted to make her relationship with Cedric official.

The revelation threw her off just enough to lose her concentration. She stepped out of sync and directly into the path of a snarling hound. The crack of Ced's whip struck the dog in midair. It twisted to one side, hitting the building and rolling to a stop.

Paloma glanced over her shoulder. "Thanks." She got back in position and rejoined the fight.

They had five more hounds to dispatch.

I'm pretty pleased with how this one is coming together. I like Paloma and Cedric's banter and teamwork.

That's it for this week.

Cheers!

Skye

Sunday Snippet: Various Reasons

Ugh. I've hit the nasty cold wall and did not bounce back. Bleh. I can happily say it's the first really icky cold I've had this winter.

Anyway, on to fun stuff. The third episode of Bitten rocked. I'm looking forward to seeing how different the elements play out from the books. So far, I love the changes. The Flash and Arrow each turned in solid episodes. Have to wait until mid-March for a new episode of The Flash, which is probably a good thing. I'm probably in the minority, but I actually want a lot less Iris. She's not my favorite character.

Tonight's post is from Various Reasons, a novella where my established couple decides whether to take their relationship to the next step.

Here's the tagline:

Paloma and Cedric keep putting off thinking or talking about the future—they've got a fae war on their hands, but after a particularly ugly skirmish, Paloma decides it's time to open the topic for discussion. Cedric is so shocked, he's not quite sure he believes her, but once Paloma gets through the list of various reasons, he's close to getting on board.

And the preview snippet…

Paloma crashed back against the wall and slid downward, crouching behind the dumpster. Cedric stumbled over and sank to his knees beside her. The stench from the hellhounds emanated from each and they wrinkled their noses.

Cedric heaved a sigh. "You okay? Injured?" He angled around, propping his back against the brick wall.

Paloma nodded. "I'm fine, just winded. Never fought a whole pack before." The number of hounds had nothing to do with her earlier distraction, but she wouldn't share her reason.

Not yet. She wanted to get her head around the revelation first.

Cedric shrugged out of his jacket, covered in noxious and foul hell hound saliva.

He tossed it up into the open dumpster, which smelled better than either of them.

He shuddered. "We need a shower." He wiped his hands on his jeans, but they were probably worse than the jacket.

Paloma snorted. "Ugh. We need a decon chamber." She slowly got up and threw her jacket into the trash bin, too. "I'd strip down right here if we didn't have to cross the boulevard to go back under."

Cedric cracked a smile. "Would be fun to watch you streak across the road, though." He chuckled and started for the street."

Paloma grabbed his arm. "Hey, once we're all shiny and clean, let's find a quiet spot." Her hand slid down his arm to grasp his fingers. "I don't feel like the usual celebratory bash at the Crescent Moon tonight." Too loud for the serious conversation she needed to have with Cedric.

His brows knit, but only for a moment. "Sure. Sounds great." He tugged her forward, heading across the road. "Rooftop in about an hour?"

Paloma grinned. Leave it to Cedric to pick the perfect spot.

She darted around him, trotting down the steps to the underground first. "Yeah… if it doesn't take longer than sixty minutes to get the stink of the hounds off." She glanced back over her shoulder. "I swear my pores are oozing the putrid smell."

Cedric laughed. "Look, if it takes longer, it does. I'll be there."

She kicked the loose tile and pushed the door open when the mechanism unlocked it. She dragged the Henley shirt over her head and jammed it into the trash can beside the door.

Clad in her sports bra and jeans, she started for the shower area. "I'm burning the rest of my clothes. Bring a lighter, will you?"

Cedric shook his head, but answered. "Yeah, yeah. I'll bring one."

She gave him a waggle-fingered wave and ducked into the huge bathroom lined with showers. Stripping off the rest of her clothes, she hurried and turned the spray on, relishing the hot water hitting her skin, feeling more steady and certain with each passing moment.

She wanted forever with Cedric, even if their version might get cut short.

So, Paloma knows what she wants, now she has to convince Cedric. J

That's it for this week.

Cheers!

Skye