This is part of my in-progress novel. Different character than I shared before. Thanks for the prompt, Marc, I needed this section badly! =================== She rose from bed, half asleep. The full moon had risen, startling her awake. She had gone to sleep crying, and the tears were still wet on her cheeks. As she stood at the window, she longed to leave the castle where her whole life was planned out for her and no one asked her opinion. She would never be able to do anything that was her own idea, not when the royal family had already decided what her life would be. She stood in the moonlight at the window, leaning out and wishing desperately there was a way to escape. But there was nowhere to go -- she had been raised in the castle and had no idea how to live on her own, without servants. As she leaned out the window, crying and wishing, she was startled to see a bank of clouds coming towards her from the forest, reaching out towards her over the castle gardens and walls. It came right up to her window, a cloud bridge. A figure in a robe stood out on it, closer to the forest, beckoning. She swung her leg over the windowsill. To her surprise, as she stood up, outside her window, she did not fall. The clouds supported her. She made her way across the clouds, towards the beckoning figure. As she came closer, the bridge retreated behind her and the sun rose in front of her, lighting the way into her new life. She never saw her maid, standing at the window behind her, mouth agape, watching her mistress disappear into the forest.
@Morganna: that's a fascinating scene, and evocative too. I really like the detail of the maid left behind, wondering at the magic that's happened before her. I did find the scene went very quickly though -- in a single paragraph we're introduced to the character and she's off on an adventure!
The cloud bridge "I don't do autographs," said Solo. "The protocol droid might if you ask nicely." "It's not that," said the custom's official, still squinting at Solo. "It's... didn't we buy parts of the Death Star from you?" There was a slight pause, and then Solo smiled brightly. "From an itinerant rock farmer? You're kidding me right? I've got some nice striated marble that's being gently irradiated in the green belt, but unless you've got a budget that's much higher than I'm expecting I don't think you'd want that." "Lord Vader's bathroom is rumoured to be rather nicer than the general facilities," said the custom's official. His hand cupped and rubbed his chin. "But... I don't think you were selling us rocks. I think you were selling us laminated shielding and laminar batteries." "Is that David Vader?" asked CPU as though the conversation around him weren't happening. "No, his first name is Inne, actually," said the custom's official. He says its Norwegian, though no-one seems to know where Norwegia actually is. And... we're going to have to search this ship." "Fine," said Solo. "Hurry up and board then, the cloud bridge is approaching and I want to seal the hull." As the custom's official and three Empirical Storm Troopers shuffled into the limited space the cloud bridge came into view on the navigation screen. After the Death Star had blown up the planet the atmosphere had stretched out and was slowly dissipating, but it would take nearly fifty years to pull apart properly. For now it was a large stretch of turbulent space stretched between several of the larger rocks, a bit more like a cargo net than a bridge. Letter-designate beeped happily to itself as it plotted a course through it. "What's in the luggage hold then?" asked the custom's official. "I assume it's going to be fertiliser and polish for your rocks?" "No-one's polishing my rocks," said Solo. He sniggered. "The luggage hold contains the necrophile," said CPU primly. "He's quite rare and valuable." "Why do you need a necrophile?" asked the custom's official. He gestured at a stormtrooper and they tugged the luggage-hold door open. One of Ookie's legs unfolded and flopped out. "We bring him out at parties," said Solo. "He's part of the dinnerware set really." Duke opened his mouth to complain just as CPU picked Ookie's leg up and pushed it back into the closet. Somehow this resulted in Ookie's crotch ending up in Duke's mouth. "He's keen, isn't he?" said Solo. "You should see him when we let him take his clothes off." "I'd rather not," said the custom's official. "Fine. Is he listed on the manifest?" "Absolutely," said Solo, his fingers tapping lightly on Letter-designate's head. "Beep beep," said Letter-designate.
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This is part of my in-progress novel. Different character than I shared before. Thanks for the prompt, Marc, I needed this section badly!
===================
She rose from bed, half asleep. The full moon had risen, startling her awake. She had gone to sleep crying, and the tears were still wet on her cheeks. As she stood at the window, she longed to leave the castle where her whole life was planned out for her and no one asked her opinion. She would never be able to do anything that was her own idea, not when the royal family had already decided what her life would be. She stood in the moonlight at the window, leaning out and wishing desperately there was a way to escape. But there was nowhere to go -- she had been raised in the castle and had no idea how to live on her own, without servants. As she leaned out the window, crying and wishing, she was startled to see a bank of clouds coming towards her from the forest, reaching out towards her over the castle gardens and walls. It came right up to her window, a cloud bridge. A figure in a robe stood out on it, closer to the forest, beckoning. She swung her leg over the windowsill. To her surprise, as she stood up, outside her window, she did not fall. The clouds supported her. She made her way across the clouds, towards the beckoning figure. As she came closer, the bridge retreated behind her and the sun rose in front of her, lighting the way into her new life. She never saw her maid, standing at the window behind her, mouth agape, watching her mistress disappear into the forest.
@Morganna: that's a fascinating scene, and evocative too. I really like the detail of the maid left behind, wondering at the magic that's happened before her. I did find the scene went very quickly though -- in a single paragraph we're introduced to the character and she's off on an adventure!
The cloud bridge
"I don't do autographs," said Solo. "The protocol droid might if you ask nicely."
"It's not that," said the custom's official, still squinting at Solo. "It's... didn't we buy parts of the Death Star from you?"
There was a slight pause, and then Solo smiled brightly. "From an itinerant rock farmer? You're kidding me right? I've got some nice striated marble that's being gently irradiated in the green belt, but unless you've got a budget that's much higher than I'm expecting I don't think you'd want that."
"Lord Vader's bathroom is rumoured to be rather nicer than the general facilities," said the custom's official. His hand cupped and rubbed his chin. "But... I don't think you were selling us rocks. I think you were selling us laminated shielding and laminar batteries."
"Is that David Vader?" asked CPU as though the conversation around him weren't happening.
"No, his first name is Inne, actually," said the custom's official. He says its Norwegian, though no-one seems to know where Norwegia actually is. And... we're going to have to search this ship."
"Fine," said Solo. "Hurry up and board then, the cloud bridge is approaching and I want to seal the hull."
As the custom's official and three Empirical Storm Troopers shuffled into the limited space the cloud bridge came into view on the navigation screen. After the Death Star had blown up the planet the atmosphere had stretched out and was slowly dissipating, but it would take nearly fifty years to pull apart properly. For now it was a large stretch of turbulent space stretched between several of the larger rocks, a bit more like a cargo net than a bridge. Letter-designate beeped happily to itself as it plotted a course through it.
"What's in the luggage hold then?" asked the custom's official. "I assume it's going to be fertiliser and polish for your rocks?"
"No-one's polishing my rocks," said Solo. He sniggered.
"The luggage hold contains the necrophile," said CPU primly. "He's quite rare and valuable."
"Why do you need a necrophile?" asked the custom's official. He gestured at a stormtrooper and they tugged the luggage-hold door open. One of Ookie's legs unfolded and flopped out.
"We bring him out at parties," said Solo. "He's part of the dinnerware set really."
Duke opened his mouth to complain just as CPU picked Ookie's leg up and pushed it back into the closet. Somehow this resulted in Ookie's crotch ending up in Duke's mouth.
"He's keen, isn't he?" said Solo. "You should see him when we let him take his clothes off."
"I'd rather not," said the custom's official. "Fine. Is he listed on the manifest?"
"Absolutely," said Solo, his fingers tapping lightly on Letter-designate's head.
"Beep beep," said Letter-designate.
Morganna - you're welcome!
This is an intriguing and exciting introduction!
Greg - goodness me. Not sure there's much else to say here. Maybe... I appreciate Solo's resourcefulness? Sure, let's go with that.
Oh, and also: poor Duke.
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