Wealth and fame she's ignored.

Between Two Evils - Chapter 24 (?)

2020-09-30T06:10:44Z

Previous Chapters Here

Allura was still fuming as Lotor escorted her out into a chilly January morning.

In the weeks they had been apart, Allura had often imagined how it would be when they finally saw one another again. She would be cool, sophisticated. He would be reluctantly impressed by his discarded bride, thriving in his absence. They would discuss whatever needed to be discussed. Perhaps he would feel a spark of renewed interest, fleeting and purely carnal, but somehow she would always be a little beyond his reach, and then he would leave. Alone.

And how had it gone? Let’s recap: she had ripped off her clothes and begged for his… Allura’s cheeks warmed as her memory helpfully provided her with its one hundredth instant replay. My! Perhaps she had a second career as a fortune teller. Her eyes squeezed shut. Absolutely brilliant…

“What was that, my sweet?” Her eyes opened as familiar hands closed around her waist, and then she was lifted into the air as though gravity did not apply to the Prince Imperial quite as it did to lesser beings.

She took the opportunity to look down at him as he set her on the wing of his ship. He had many, many serious faults, but at that moment she decided to hate him just because he was beautiful.

The bells on her comb rang faintly as she tucked her feet under her and stood.

“I see that you like my gift,” Lotor said from behind her, as she walked to stand beside the cockpit.

Allura folded her arms across her chest. “I treasure it. It reminds me of something important.”

There was a moment of taut silence. “Dare I ask?”

“It reminds me that your affections are… excitingly changeable.”

“My affections for you did not undergo a change, Allura.”

Allura forced herself to turn and face him. “Enlighten me. What then inspired you to treat me so coldly and cavort with other women?”

“I… I was angry.”

He looked over the castle grounds toward the lake.

“And there has been no…”

He scowled down at his spotless sleeve, plucked at it.

“...actual cavorting.”

Allura was not soothed, not even a little. “Well, the cavorting was very strongly implied. And for what?” Allura flung up a hand. “Did you blame me for Captain Kogane’s actions?”

Now he looked at her. He looked like a very large, very surly cat. “Your creative interpretation of a Captain’s duties were also very strongly implied.”

“Oh! Was that my crime? That you were jealous?”

To her surprise he actually hissed with displeasure. He took a step toward her. “Your crime was that you did not believe me! I have upheld my side of our agreement, Allura." He stabbed a finger at her. "Time and time again. You cannot deny this. Killing or maiming Kogane--” Lotor stabbed a finger toward the castle now, “--as enjoyable as it would be, and as much as he does court it, Gods does he court it-- would violate that agreement on no uncertain terms!”

He seemed to check himself then, glanced away, took a deep breath. When he went on he sounded calm, but there was an edge to his voice, a bitter curl to his lip. “If you have so little faith in me to protect this little rock you hold so dear, then I must wonder how long even your honor will hold you to such a poor bargain...”

Your crime was that you did not believe me.

Allura gaped at him. Your crime was that you did not believe me. All of this time he had been nursing bruised feelings like some fantastically huge and deadly eight-year-old. All of this time.

“You have behaved like an outrageous brat!” she cried. That got his attention.

“You sulk and—and you are petty and sadistic. You deal in threats and ultimatums and then you expect trust in return!” Another life, another time, the look on his face would have been comic. “What? The Prince Imperial has never been called a brat before? What an honor to be first!”

The leather of his gauntlets creaked. His eyes were wide now and staring in his set face. Finally he spoke. “I have given you far more than threats and ultimatums, Allura.”

Hah! Allura tipped back her head, letting the bells chime her laughter. “Whatever you imagine you feel for me, you love your own pride more.”

It was his turn to be incredulous. “Why? Because I have not thrown it at your feet like everything else!?”

Allura took a step toward him; she felt incandescent with outrage. “I thought you had tired of me. I could have accepted that. I expected it! When we had a bargain and nothing more. But you encouraged me to care for you. You encouraged me to care for you, and then you used that against me like a dagger.” She pressed a fist to her breast as though it could soothe the ache that still lived there. “You’ll be pleased to know that it hurt. Badly.”

Lotor stilled at her words.

She could not look away from him. He had been openly angry just a moment before, but now his expression told her nothing.

“That was your intention was it not?” she asked.

An emotion flickered across his face. For a moment she thought he might be about to speak.

Allura was too angry to feel the cold, or to hear, at first, the faint sound of voices. She looked toward the castle and saw that Keith and Hunk had emerged and were looking in their direction. It must be obvious that she and Lotor were arguing. Allura put her fingertips to her closed eyes for a moment.

It seemed Lotor still had that charming effect on her temper.

She glanced at him. He was looking at their audience as well. “Shall we go?” he said, his voice cool and faintly impatient.

Allura took a deep breath and looked back at the castle, relieved to see that the ‘rescue party’ was not advancing. She smiled and waved. “I—Yes, please.”

He dealt with the hatch release in record time. Allura ducked under the rising canopy and hopped down into the cockpit, shifting herself as far over on the seat as she could. Lotor was right behind her. In moments they were in the air.

***

Allura looked out. She loved to fly, but at the moment her attention wasn’t really on the view. She was aware of his slight movements as he piloted the ship, but he said nothing.

In a short time, the silver shield of atmosphere fell away below them and the darkness of space blossomed above. It wasn’t until the upper atmosphere was far behind that Lotor sat back with a sigh, and spoke.

“I had already decided that my actions were counterproductive and should not be repeated,” he said, in a rather stilted tone.

Allura’s brows snapped together. She shifted around to face him. He was regarding her steadily in the dim light of the instruments, his pupils blown wide by the darkness.

“Is that an ‘Imperial’ apology?”

She saw a hint of his familiar smirk, but his gaze was watchful.

“So. Captain Kogane returned from his, ah… reconnaissance mission with all of his limbs because you were keeping faith with me,” she ventured.

She glanced away. “There is another possible explanation, of course. They think you are scheming about the lions. I feel I should warn you that all of my fellow pilots now believe they can taunt you with impunity.”

Lotor seemed to consider that for a moment. “Color me forewarned.” Then, “What about you? Aren’t you concerned?”

“About which?”

“My scheming.”

“Your bizarre plan to infuriate me into turning over the keys to you?” Allura sniffed. “Your bed skills are good, but not that good. Don’t let me dissuade you though from trying. Everyone needs a dream.”

Lotor was silent for a moment, and then he laughed.

Allura gave him her very best look of disdain. Then she gave him a couple of thumps with her fist for good measure. It had no effect and after a moment she watched him openly, bemused.

The look on his face as his laughter faded, it made her ache. It was difficult to be angry with him when he looked at her that way, yet he was not forgiven. “I have missed you, Allura,” he said, his voice low and rough, as he gathered her close. “Gods, so much.” Allura closed her eyes and accepted the embrace. She had missed him as well, this most of all.

“I missed some parts of you,” she grumbled. Her eyes became wet, and she dried them on his tunic, her hands making fists in the fabric.

“Mmm, I could tell,” he said.

“You know that’s not what I meant!”

“Do I?”

“If you missed me so much, perhaps I would have seen you sooner.”

“It was not possible.” His expression struck her. It was almost – weary. His energy and confidence was always so boundless...

Between Two Evils: Chapter 23

2015-11-22T20:21:55Z

Yup, another one.

Previous Chapters Here

Allura sat on the edge of the wing and looked down at Lotor as his hands closed around her waist. He lifted her down, and with a hand at the small of her back, escorted her toward where her teammates were silently waiting. Keith. She surveyed them all, but her gaze kept returning to Keith. He was very much alive and whole, perhaps a bit thinner.

Smiling, she took a slow, full breath and let it out again. A band of tension around her ribs that she hadn't even been aware of was gone, allowing her to breathe deep, stand tall, for the first time since his ill-fated rescue attempt.

Keith didn't seem nearly as surprised to see her. He was watching Lotor. A glance at her husband revealed he was returning the favor. Lotor was smiling, but Allura knew that smile.

The etiquette of the situation was rather complicated, what with Lotor having tried to kill them all any number of times, and them having done the same, and frankly, the insults alone would have caused a diplomatic rift… Judging from the uncertain, wary expressions, her friends didn’t know what to say or do either.

Lotor had no such difficulties. “Your Liege has brought you a Yule gift,” he announced as they came to halt.

It was Yule?

Allura saw Hunk snatch at a forgotten wreath he had been wearing on his head, and noticed Pidge’s ridiculous sweater for the first time. Lance had a sprig of mistletoe tucked behind his ear... They must have been celebrating. She looked at them each, taking in the more subtle changes that time had wrought and tried a tentative smile.

“Allura…”

She felt a touch on her hair and turned her attention to her husband, just as he dipped his head and kissed her. She stiffened, knowing exactly what he was up to. Unfortunately, resisting would make things so much worse.

His mouth moved over hers as if he had all the time in the world, and nothing else he would rather be doing with it. When he finally lifted his head, there was a gleam of satisfaction in his half-lidded gaze.

The silence from the direction of her teammates was quite loud. And then there were the guards and assorted personnel... She was sure the silence was equally deafening inside the castle, from whence they were no doubt being closely surveilled. Allura got a sudden vision of their clinch on the huge screens in the control room and closed her eyes.

“I hate you,” she murmured, too low for anyone else to hear, and waited to hear his self-satisfied laughter.

It didn't come.

“I know,” he said quietly, and released her. She felt his fingers trace down her arm to her wrist as though reluctant to relinquish her completely. With one last, intent glance at the Lion Force he turned and walked with long strides back toward his ship.

Frowning, Allura turned to watch him, one hand tugging at the food taster’s tail which had become rather tight around her throat. Without a backward look, he leapt to the wing of his craft, slid into the cockpit and closed the hatch. He was going.

And then he was gone, the swift ship rising, turning, climbing. Allura watched until it was lost to sight.

The bells on her comb chimed faintly as Allura squared her shoulders and turned to face her subjects, her head high. She probably looked a proper pirate’s wife. The food taster was perched on her tanned shoulder and her hair tumbled loose, held back only by an ornament worth a royal’s ransom. She stifled a shiver. Her dress was suited to someplace rather warmer and more exotic than Arus at Yuletide.

This time it was Pidge who knew what to say.

“Princess!!” He dashed forward and threw his arms around her waist. Allura laughed, surprised, and hugged him back. She had missed them so much, more than she had ever let herself feel. Now it was a great ache in her chest that made her joy all the sweeter. And then she was in their midst, and they were all talking and smiling.

She felt a touch on her shoulder and there was Coran, so much emotion in the faded blue eyes. She turned to put her arms around him in a rare embrace.

Allura closed her eyes and felt truly whole for the first time in a very long while, years perhaps.

She was home.

***

Allura had too much energy to sleep in, even though the Yule celebration she had joined so unexpectedly had continued late into the night. On the surface everything had seemed very much the same as before. Yet, Allura had savored it as though it were new and felt it more deeply than ever.

Only the babe made her take time for breakfast, and then she was knocking on Keith’s door.

He seemed as pleased to see her as she was to see him. “Come in, Princess.”

Keith stepped back and gestured with the steaming mug in his hand toward the utilitarian furniture. “Have a seat.”

Allura crossed instead to the clear panels that made up the outer wall. Her view was of the lake; his was dominated by the head and shoulders of Black Lion set against a magnificent sky. Allura looked out with satisfaction at the massive mecha. The sun reflected off its silver shoulders, painting the room with light.

“She looks good.”

“She is good.” Keith came to stand beside her. “We’ve been able to complete all the repairs that we’d been putting off before. Replace interim measures with real solutions.”

“Wonderful,” Allura smiled. “Keith, I’ve come to ask you a favor. Two favors actually. If you aren’t too busy, I’d like to continue my lessons with the sword.”

Keith took a sip of his drink. Then he said, “I’d be happy to.”

Allura glanced at him, sensing some unspoken reservation.

Keith had always been something of a closed book to her, and his calm expression told her nothing. She did not doubt his loyalties; that was the one thing he was utterly transparent about, in word and deed. He had been a better friend to her, a greater advocate, even than the others who had come to Arus with him. Yet he had somehow kept her at a greater distance.

Allura smiled a little. Perhaps that was just another way that he was a good friend. If he had ever noticed that she was female, and considered rather an object of attraction by some – emphasis on ‘object’ – he had never given any sign of it.

She hoped that she could say the same. That she had given no sign that is, because she’d definitely noticed him as a man. Idolized him, really.

Allura bowed her head as she felt a sharp pang of sadness. In the past, she had entertained herself with remote, someday possibilities, with fantasies of a future in which she chose a husband to suit her heart as well as her reign. But the future had arrived with rather startling suddenness.

Aware that a silence had fallen, she looked up at Keith and surprised a look of such sorrow on his face that she reached for his hand without thinking about it, and squeezed it hard in both of hers. Knowing him, he had probably blamed himself for everything.

“I–I understand that you tried to bring me home,” she said. “Thank you.”

She laughed, a shaky sound. “It was incredibly foolish, and I ought to demote you–but thank you.”

He squeezed her hand in return, “Any time, Princess.”

Allura looked down at their clasped hands and swallowed. With a last squeeze she pulled her hands away, and strove for an even tone of voice.

Swiping quickly at her cheek, she said, “Perhaps we could start the lessons next week. And that brings me to my second favor, I would love to go and retrieve Blue. On the way you perhaps could fill me in on what else has changed?”

“Of course, Princess,” he said, his voice a little rough, and he smiled. For just a moment, for no reason she could understand, that smile made new tears well up in her eyes, but then his expression shifted, lightened. He shrugged, “Hey, maybe I’ll even let you drive.”

***

A bit of Lotor’s imperiousness had rubbed off on her, or perhaps distance had given her perspective. Or perhaps she had changed. She felt different – harder. Whatever the case. Allura was liking the result.

When Coran had approached her for a debriefing on her marriage, she had put him off with a calm, “Give me a week, Coran. Then we’ll talk.”

The first time Nanny had attempted to lecture her, she had cut her off.

“I’m sorry. You can’t speak to me that way.”

And though it was the impulse of a moment, the week’s reprieve that she had given herself from answering questions about her marriage had worked out very well. Her days were full, and seeing her planet and her people at peace was a balm like no other. Even her pregnancy seemed to be giving her a break. She rarely felt sick and didn’t think of it at all for long stretches.

Every evening she had returned to her quarters, feeling tired and replete.

And then the food taster would come to greet her at a lalloping run, its long, red tail curled over its head, and memories from an entirely different life would crowd in, terrifying and sublime.

She would stroke the creature’s smooth pelt and wonder when her life would change again. Something about the intensity in Lotor’s voice when he spoke of their son told her that time would be measured in months rather than years.

Tomorrow she had a morning meeting with Coran. She intended to announce her pregnancy.

She wasn’t nervous about it, and she didn’t intend to tolerate any hand-wringing. If this week had shown her anything, it was that she had made the right choice when she had made her deal with the devil.

As she sat down on her bed the sparkling comb on her bedside table caught her eye. Abruptly she wished for the trainer. She really wanted to hack on something with a sword.

***

Allura stood. Placing her fingertips carefully on the cool surface of the table, she looked at each face in turn. She saw varying levels of concern on the faces of her teammates – except Keith who was looking down at his clasped hands. She looked at Coran, sitting opposite her.

Coran seemed rather braced for what he was about to hear, though she doubted someone who knew him less well would know it. For herself, the serene countenance that she had learned to wear as a public figure and had polished to an art form as Lotor’s bride was comfortably in place.

“Prince Lotor and I are wed,” she began in an even tone.

“On October 8 I took Blue out and encountered the Prince Imperial alone. He offered to bring an immediate end to Imperial hostilities and to extend his personal protection to Arus in exchange for my hand. I accepted his offer.”

She listened to the sounds of shock and disbelief.

Hunk spoke, “Now wait a minute. Are you trying to tell us that you went with him willingly? That words came out of his mouth and you believed them?”

Allura shook her head. “The potential benefit was great: to end a conflict with no further casualties that might have gone on for years. Would it be so foolish if the possibility of Prince Lotor’s sincerity seemed of greater value than my certainty that the G.A. would mourn us properly?”

Suddenly, none of the team of “military advisors” that were the sum total of the G.A.’s assistance seemed inclined to look her in the eye.

Coran laced his fingers together, his expression grave. “Princess, if you were no prisoner, why did you not contact us?”

“I missed you all so much. But what was there to say? The potential was great but the risks were great as well. I could hardly discuss that in front of Lotor. In such a situation, assurances about my well-being would have been pointless. I hope you will all forgive me. I am here now. I am well.”

“Are you? Well?” Coran hesitated. “Did he mistreat you?”

“No.” Allura frowned. “We are all aware of Lotor’s capacity for violence, but I have come to learn that he is not impulsive or capricious.” Allura glanced thoughtfully at Keith. “Far from it. He’s quite capable of ignoring even the most extreme provocation if it suits his ends…”

“And what are his ends?” Coran asked.

Allura considered this for a moment. ”And I will have what I want, you as my wife.” The look on his face when he’d found her at Merta’s. The lingering trace of his fingers the last time he’d let her go. How was she supposed to bullet point that exactly? His odd and fleeting infatuation with her seemed to be over in any case, not relevant.

“He wants to rule,” she said, pleased to hear that her voice was clear and even. “I don’t think there is any love between himself and Zarkon.”

“How does your… alliance meet that end?”

Allura considered her words. It didn’t, on its surface. Yet he had not only ‘allied’ himself with one of his father’s most effective and implacable enemies, he had also shielded and aided them in secret. Was that hers to reveal?

“The lions.” Keith’s quiet voice interrupted her deliberations. She looked over to see that he was looking at her, meeting her eyes for the first time since the start of the meeting.

“He’s got a point,” said Lance.

“He could have killed me several times,” Keith added. “He didn’t. He went to a lot of trouble to get me off-planet unharmed—and undetected.”

Allura felt a chill wash over her; how closely Keith had trod the edge of the abyss. “I don’t know what stars aligned for that to happen, but being less murderous than expected is hardly going to win Lotor access to the lions.”

Hunk scoffed, “Does he know that?”

Coran leaned forward, his brow furrowed. “Did he give any hint as to why he aided Captain Kogane?”

“No.” Allura sighed. “He told me only the barest facts of the matter. But I don’t see how he could expect to gain control of the lions. The most likely scenario is that we are minor players in some sort of power struggle between the Prince and his father. Perhaps marrying me was less about what Lotor hoped to gain and more about how much his father would lose.”

Allura squared her shoulders. “Which would be ideal, because then we both got what we wanted from the arrangement. For myself there has been an added benefit. You all know that as the last of my line, I was being urged to marry as soon as a proper candidate should be found. Now everyone can relax. I’m pregnant.”

***

The castle was darkside when Lotor landed his ship on the concrete, well away from other craft, and strode to the entrance. He ignored the guard that tried to address him and the stares of the other personnel as he walked into the atrium and waited. A moment later, the Red Lion pilot entered the area at a trot and approached him. He stopped a generous distance away, his body angled to provide less of a target.

“What's crackin', Blue?” The man’s words were flippant, but his gaze was cold.

Lotor smiled. “Take me to my wife, Lieutenant.”

“It’s 0300 hours.”

“Are you saying I’ll find her snug in bed? What a shame.”

He watched, amused, as McClane contemplated violence on his person.

The man thought better of it, and also of engaging him in further conversation. He indicated some lifts with a sharp gesture of his head and stalked toward them, not waiting to see if Lotor would follow.

When they reached the princess’s door Lotor said, “Open it. No need to disturb her.”

The lieutenant keyed in some numbers and then put his palm on the keypad. It beeped its rejection. He cursed under his breath and repeated the process, this time correctly. But Lotor had little attention left for him now. Allura was behind that door. He’d scarcely left the atmosphere of this wretched planet before he’d fought a strong urge to turn around and fetch her back, and that had been over three weeks ago now.

It slid open and he walked inside, hesitating only long enough to be sure that it was closing again. He entered her bed chamber with silent steps, and there she was, curled on her side. Snug in her bed. Beautiful.

And beautifully alive.

He pondered the state of his marriage as he watched her slow, even breaths. “I hate you.” He sighed and slowly toed off his boots. He pulled off his left gauntlet then his right.

He lifted the cover and slid in next to her warmth, feeling an echo in his bones of all the times he had done this before, and with a small sound, Allura rolled toward him. He slipped an arm under her head, knowing it would not be enough to wake her and stuffed her pillow behind his own. Allura slid her hand part-way across his chest and shifted until he could feel her warmth all along his side. Lotor closed his eyes and stifled a groan as all the tension in his body seemed to release at once. Well, almost all of the tension. He covered her little hand with his, and drifted into what he felt certain would be a dreamless sleep.

***

Nanny was baking Yule cookies… Allura pressed her face against a warm, muscular shoulder to shut out the morning light and drowsed.

But it was more than halfway through January...

Allura lifted her head, blinking, and surveyed her dozing bedfellow from the silvery crown of his head to the stocking foot that was hanging off the end of the mattress.

When she looked back, he was displaying the points of his overlong canines in a yawn.

“Wha–what are you doing here?”

Lotor blinked at her.

Just when she wondered if he was going to answer, he raised one brow a little and spoke, his voice low and rough with sleep. “It’s been thirty days, Allura.”

The faint rasp in his voice sent a quiver down her spine. As she stared at him, wide-eyed, she saw his amber gaze warm in a very familiar way, became aware of her breasts pressed against him, the intimate tangle of their legs.

So it was time she resumed her marital duties was it?

Fine.

Her mouth set in a firm line, Allura pushed off him and sat up and yanked her nightgown over her head. It tangled a little in her arms, but then she succeeded in throwing it to the floor. Crawling up over his prone body she planted herself on his chest. She caught a glimpse of wide cat’s eyes and felt a certain satisfaction that she had managed to surprise him.

Taking his face in her hands, she slanted her mouth over his, bit at the maddening curve of his lower lip. She had her needs too didn’t she?

Lotor was rigid beneath her for an instant, and then a long-fingered hand tangled deliciously in her hair, another hunted frantically beneath the cover for her thigh and pulled it up and open. Something that had been on low simmer inside of her for days, weeks, flared to vibrant life.

He felt so good. He was kissing her now, the warm pressure of his mouth and the velvet stroke of his tongue made her skin heat and her pulse pound. Her hands slid hungrily down his throat, over his shoulders, plucked at his tunic, wanting badly to feel the warm satin of his skin under her hands. He shifted her, fitting them together. A feverish ache began to pulse between her legs at the feel of him.

Allura kicked the leg that was now dangling off the side of the bed. “Over. Roll over,” she gasped.

With a low sound, he obeyed, and then she felt him everywhere, heat and hardness, pressing her into the mattress. She cried out and twisted against him as he moved over her in agony of need. She whimpered when he pulled away from her to tear at his clothes, and then he was back. She felt the hot, satin brush of his sex against her inner thighs. His hands moved over her in undisguised hunger. Her body ached as if he had been licking and teasing her for hours. The emptiness inside her hurt, hurt so badly.

“Please,” she breathed. “Please, please, please…”

He moved over her, biting at her exposed throat. She hooked her legs around him, pulling him in as he pierced her with his heavy sex. Allura shrieked as he slid deep. He arched up, gasping.

So good. Everywhere. Oh, God. He slid into her again, and then again, his breath huffing out as if he’d been struck, and then he came undone with a soundless cry. Allura felt the first throb and slickness of his release, and she was lost, everything unraveling in waves of ecstasy from where they were so tightly joined. She ground against him with her hips, her arms and legs holding him tight. And when the last bit of pleasure was wrung, she went limp, her hands releasing their death grip on his clothes, able only to breathe. He lay panting against her, in her, some his weight held from her by one quivering arm.

After a long time, he rolled away from her with a groan, “Gods, Allura, how am I to be expected to fly now?“

Allura said nothing while he rearranged his clothes and rose, rather unsteadily from the bed.

She rolled up on to her side when she realized that he was putting on his boots, or trying to. After a moment he gave in and sat down on the bed to do it. So he was going, now that he was done. He did look thoroughly satisfied, practically giddy with it. She bit her lip.

When he had his boots on, he turned to look at her. And then she found herself scooped up and deposited onto his lap. His eyes were bright, his hair mussed. Another time she would have said he looked absolutely besotted. Warm, knowing fingertips traced over the sensitive hollow at the base of her spine. He gave her a firm kiss, and then another and another.

“Get dressed,” he said between kisses, though he shifted her still closer in his arms. “We can bathe when we get to Nephalem.”

“What–why are you taking me to Nephalem?”

Lotor raised his brows and pulled back a little to look at her. “I told you. It’s time you saw the physic again. It’s been thirty days since the last time.”

Allura gaped at him, and then she blushed harder than she ever had in her life.

On to Chapter 24

Between Two Evils: Chapter 22

2015-11-18T01:33:56Z

OMG a chapter!! Y'all can thank ZWM for this. Bribery works wonders...

Previous Chapters Here

Chapter 22

“May I borrow this, My Dear?”

The lady simpered as Lotor plucked the sparkling comb from her hair. Tiny golden bells shimmered and rang.

“It's time I was leaving,” he announced to the sighing dismay of his adoring retinue. His father's victory celebrations were over, but there was always a gathering or two among his courtiers and the Prince Imperial was a welcome guest even when he arrived late and left early.

“Group hug?” He opened his arms and was engulfed in perfumed embraces.

He made a point of humming a happy tune as he entered his quarters.

The stillness as he entered the space he called home was a contrast to the gossipy, raucous atmosphere of the party. It was a contrast he usually liked, but tonight the silence seemed more reproachful than serene.

Or perhaps that was just his wife.

Allura looked achingly beautiful reclined on one of his divans, but not for his benefit. There were no members of his fan club here. She pointedly turned a page.

The sight of her stirred a volatile mix of emotions, but he let none of them show. He tossed the jewelled comb onto the cushion next to her as he strolled by. The bells sang while in flight and then landed with a discordant note, a token for a neglected wife. The food tester hissed at him from its perch near its mistress, revealing a respectable maw for a tiny creature, complete with its double row of shocking blue teeth. A superstitious person might think the little creature reflected its mistress's feelings, but more likely it just disliked the strange scents.

He resisted the urge to show the creature some real fangs.

His forced cheer disappeared as he entered the shadowy confines of their bedchamber, if it could really be called ‘theirs’ at the moment. He stopped in the center of the room and scowled at the empty bed.

***

Allura stared at the bit of priceless jewelry that lay next to her on the divan.

She’d known from the beginning that it would end this way. She’d known that he would tire of her, guessed that he would become cruel and cold. She’d even predicted the reason. She’d known that he would react badly as soon as she’d shown herself to be a person rather than a trophy, a person with inconvenient thoughts and feelings of her own. She had known. Her only question in those early days had been whether or not she would survive his displeasure. She had survived. But somewhere along the way she had gotten lost.

The golden glitter of the hair ornament seemed to mock her. She snatched it up, rising emotion carrying her to her feet. It was time to get found.

“My Lord.”

Her voice behind him made him start, it was so unexpected.

It seemed as though it had been forever since he had heard her voice. Another lifetime perhaps. Her voice, her words were husky with suppressed emotion. It affected him as if she had stroked him from head to heels—and that made him as angry as if she had slapped him across the face. Lotor set his teeth.

It was the first time she'd willingly been in the same room with him for many days. When he turned to look at her, he saw that she had the comb clutched tight in one hand, and her eyes were bright with tears. He felt a pang when he saw them, but it did not move him as much as it might have done. Her tears were not over him were they?

She had tried a few times after the night of Kogane's little visit to get him to tell her what had actually happened to her ‘favorite’ captain. Was he imprisoned? Was he dead? But he'd refused to repeat himself on the matter. He had told her what had happened. If she wanted to suffer due to her own lack of faith, then let her.

Allura did not make him wait long to find out what was on her mind. “If you've tired of me, My Lord, perhaps... Perhaps you should send me to Arus to live.”

***

Allura watched Lotor’s expression change at her request. The change was not encouraging. She had called him beautiful, and he was, as cold and lovely as some legendary prince of the fey. At the moment, he looked every bit as dangerous. Allura clutched the comb until it bit into her hand. The pain focused her, kept her from bursting into tears like a child—or a woman in the early stages of pregnancy.

You knew that he would tire of you, she told herself. You knew that he would weary of someone who didn’t worship and approve his every move. But something had gone very wrong; her foresight hadn’t prevented the pain.

“That's out of the question,” he said, obviously rejecting the suggestion without thought. “Your place is here.”

“Lotor, think—think of the babe.” She gestured around her. “Even you have to admit this is no place for an infant—no life for a child. Will they be returning to me with poisoned wounds and lazon burns as well?” And smelling like a harem, she might have added.

Lotor looked his most imperious. “I did not say the babe’s place was here.”

***

It had occurred to him recently, that perhaps Allura did not want a child. True, she seemed to like children a great deal in general, but in specific the child of a monster might not be quite so dear.

Perhaps it was from such bitter thoughts that his words came. It hardly mattered, he regretted them as soon as he saw their effect.

Allura stared at him, her breath was coming quick and shallow. She had called him a monster. Now she looked as if she believed it.

Lotor did not do panic. But the feeling that came over him then might have been very like to it.

“Allura. No. I would not separate you from our son. I swear it.”

Lotor held her gaze, willing her to believe him. “I would never separate you from our son.” He hesitated then, not from doubt, but because the words were so foreign to him. If he had ever pleaded for anything before, he could not recall it. His hands curled into fists.

“Please. Tell me you believe me.”

The words came out rather stilted and odd. He cursed himself. It sounded like they were forced out of him at knifepoint, hardly persuasive.

But, they had the desired effect. As he watched, Allura blinked and much of the tension eased from her frame. Not all, but much. She looked wary, but nodded.

The silence was awkward, but Lotor was too relieved to care.

He stared, as hungry for the sight of her as if they had been separated for weeks rather than estranged for days and by his own desire.

And that was when the tone sounded. Someone was at his door.

He hesitated for a moment, then strode past her. It was almost certainly an envoy from his father, and the last thing he needed right now was for Zarkon to tire of ceremony and bellow his summons through the comm system again.

A few words with the messenger confirmed it. His father wanted his presence immediately.

He waited until the man left before exiting himself.

As he set out for the throne room his thoughts stayed behind.

He must do something about the situation, though he knew not what. Something other than his current brilliant strategy which he liked to call 'making things worse'. It would save his wife the trouble of stabbing him while he slept, after all, and him the trouble of deserving it. He winced as he remembered the physic's instruction not to distress his wife.

Whatever he was going to do, he needed to do it quickly. Time was running out. Soon the fleet would depart and him with it.

It would be nice if he could summon some enthusiasm for being separate from her for an extended period, but he could not. Even at his most angry, he had still craved her, and most of his anger had now deserted him. Which led to the most important reason: he was in the right perhaps, but he was beginning to find being in the right to be very tiresome.

Then there was the question of where she was to live while he was away. As he walked, he considered—and discarded—the options. There had been a time when that would have taken longer. Now his requirements were much more strict. Admes could be trusted to keep excellent watch over her on Nephalem, and she would receive the best medical care, but it was difficult to contemplate leaving her where she had come so close to disaster, and Nephalem... Nephalem was a little too much fun.

Then there was Arus. Lotor grimaced. There was no more loyal or effective protection than what she would have there. He thought of Kogane’s determined face as he fought for his princess—a little too loyal.

He had reached no conclusion by the time he walked through the doors of the throne room.

The first thing Lotor noticed was that his king was in a very good mood.

“Ah son, I’m glad to see you are on time for once. The Princess Valis and her delegation should be here any moment.”

Valis. His father had mentioned an offer of marriage from the Arach Empire.

“Get ready to meet your new stepmother! Leading those campaigns myself made me feel like a new man. I am well on my way to closing negotiations on my own behalf.”

Oh, Hundred Hells. And the seven wretched Urdemons that spawned them, and all the molten torments within. Lotor glared at his father, incensed.

Zarkon smiled back, well pleased with himself.

Valis would try to kill him eventually; his father knew this as well as he did.

He should be safe enough until she had an alternative heir and perhaps a spare. And if Zarkon failed to provide her with them in a timely manner, she might come looking for him to do so. She might even try to manipulate him into challenging his father. It was now clear that he might have no choice if he wished to maintain a hold on the throne. So much for sharing power.

And then it was time for him to turn and face the approaching delegation, to smile as it parted to reveal a composed young woman in palest lavender. Her eyes were also a pale lavender which gave her a dreamy, unfocused look. She smiled back. He held out his hand for hers and accompanied her up the many steps to his father’s throne.

He was still smiling as they reached the top, the Princess’s gloved fingers resting against his gauntleted palm. The polite pressure made a murderous tension prickle between his shoulder blades and crawl up the back of his neck.

He would be safe enough for now. Allura would be on her ‘Must Die’ list under the heading of ‘Soonest’. Another fact he was certain his father was well aware of. After all, there was no advantage to loose ends like the one that was already deepening the curve of Allura’s belly.

***

Allura stood up when she heard Lotor return a few hours later. Her latest attempt to talk to her husband hadn’t exactly gone well, but not so badly that there was no point in trying again. She wasn’t really sure what she was going to say.

She smoothed her skirt as he strode into the room. “My Lord?”

His response shocked her. He strode right up to her and lifted her against him. Her deep gasp of surprise pressed her more closely yet, and then her surprise shattered into confusion as a warm mouth pressed to hers. He kissed her as though he’d been waiting an eternity; he kissed her as though he would never have the chance again. There was passion, but not hurried, not rough.

Allura saw then, in blinding epiphany how she had lost her way. He kissed her as though she were the most precious thing in the universe. He touched her, and she felt the most shocking pleasure; he held her and everything dimmed and fell away except for the host of temptations that was this man. Her fingers clenched, testing the hard sleek muscle beneath his clothes.

For a surprised instant she was plunged back into a time when his embrace was a haven and his regard something more than a spoiled prince’s whim.

Then a different memory, silent and pale, bobbed to the surface. It was a memory of the slave Lotor had executed in front of her, of the fear and defiance on his face just before Lotor’s blade took him through the heart. Only this time the man wore Keith’s face.

Delicious tension lurched into nausea.

She made a distressed sound and began to struggle. Lotor released her, almost too suddenly. She staggered back and clapped a hand over her mouth. Their eyes met for one fraught moment, and then she fled for the bathing room.

***

Allura splashed some cold water on her face, and then carefully blotted it dry with a soft towel. She hadn’t actually thrown up, but she probably would have felt better if she had.

So much for her hopes for a productive chat, she thought, found herself flushing at the memory of what had taken place instead. Well, third time was the charm? She took a deep breath and ventured forth.

Lotor was not in the bedroom. She peered into the main chamber. He was still standing where she had left him, seemingly lost in thought.

He looked up when she entered, regarding her so dispassionately that Allura wondered if she had completely imagined their embrace.

“I have reconsidered your suggestion,” he said. “You will be returning to Arus.”

Allura was speechless. Then, perversely, she felt horribly rejected.

“If,” Lotor continued, “you agree to certain conditions.”

“And what are those conditions?” Allura asked after a moment.

“I'm still considering them.”

What else could she do but agree? “Very well.” Then, “When will I be leaving?”

“Now.”

“Now! I—” Allura hesitated, looking around.

It seemed she was going to depart this place as abruptly as it had once become her home. She spotted a mound of ruby plumes among some gilded cushions; the bells on the golden hair comb chimed faintly as she hurried to scoop up the little creature. Her lion key was already tucked in her bodice; she had taken to carrying it there. For some reason she found it comforting next to her skin. Allura took a deep breath and turned to face her husband. Could he be playing some game with her? Punishing her for asking to leave?

“I am ready,” she said. She saw his cat’s gaze fix on the comb. Then he looked at the food taster, and she remembered; it was not hers to take. Whatever his thoughts on the subject, Lotor made no demur. Instead he held out a hand to her.

“Let us go.”

Lotor was a man with a purpose. A grim purpose. She had not often seen this aspect of him, especially since they were wed. He escorted her directly to his ship with swift strides, bundled her into the cockpit and slid gracefully in beside her. He set his ship in motion and piloted it out of the bay into the darkness.

At first she felt awkward in such tight confines with him. Maybe she should feel afraid, a wife who had displeased and was now being shuttled to a destination where she would not need a change of clothes. But even now she could not summon any fear of him, and if he could pretend she was a parcel to be delivered then she could pretend that he was part of the interior.

It wasn’t long before she found herself settling against him as she had done so many times before, soothed by his silence and motions that had the familiarity of ritual as he navigated the turbulent atmosphere, and then prepared to jump. She closed her eyes and let herself pretend that this was just another journey like many others they had taken together. There was no future, no past, only the present moment.

***

She woke to the sound of her name and a gentle touch on her hair. The last thing she remembered clearly was seeing Lotor set a course for Arus. After that, the tension of the last week had taken its toll, pulling her into a deep sleep. Allura stirred and sat up. The first thing she noticed was that she was now curled on Lotor’s lap rather than at his side. She stilled, her hands braced against his broad chest, her face scarcely a hand’s breadth from his own. She found herself remembering the way he had kissed her earlier.

The food taster hissed from where it was hidden under her hair and felt the prick of its tiny claws against her nape. Feeling flushed, Allura tore her gaze from his and sat back.

He had kissed her, yes, and then announced her immediate departure from his side.

Her moment of self-indulgence was over. Certainly there was no trace of the lover she remembered in the Prince Imperial’s guarded amber gaze. Allura took a deep breath; it was time to focus on the future.

She looked away, tilted her head up. Above her Arus turned in space, half of it blazing with every color under the sun, the other gleaming and mysterious in the light of its moons.

Keith.

It seemed she was returning to Arus, perhaps to stay, but for now she could feel nothing but a hollow ache. She couldn’t grieve, she just didn’t know. Was he in some filthy hole of a cell, left behind by the person he had tried to save?

For a horrified moment she entertained the idea that Keith had taken Black Lion, that both of them were lost. Surely Keith wouldn’t have risked it? She was so horrified that she actually turned to ask Lotor about it, before remembering his repeated refusal to discuss the matter.

“I believe I mentioned conditions,” Lotor said, into the silence.

Allura nodded, a stiff bob of her head. A wild part of her stirred, a part that wanted to scream at him, to force the answers she needed. She lowered her lashes, afraid her emotions would show in her eyes. A tantrum could only delay the moment of their parting, and she had no interest in doing that.

“Firstly, you will give your word to return to my side whenever I should ask.” He sounded bored, as though he didn’t expect that to happen anytime soon, perhaps ever. From beneath her lashes she saw him turn his head away to look out into the void, his attention already far from here.

“Yes, I promise,” she said.

Just when she began to wonder if there was going to be a ‘secondly’ he said, “Oh, and there will be none of these lovers you spoke of. You will not be taking any in the time we are apart.”

How dare he? “Will you be promising the same?”

Now she had his full attention. Allura wished her words unsaid as she flushed under his interested regard. “Is that your wish?” His tone was all politeness.

She stared into his cold, beautiful face, no longer caring if he saw every bit of the thwarted fury that churned inside of her. He wasn’t the only one who could refuse to discuss something.

“And what is my word worth to you, Allura?” he said, when she remained silent.

Allura was the first to look away.

“Your promise?”

She turned back to him, almost vibrating with rage. “You have it.”

“And you have mine,” he said smoothly.

“Will there be anything else?” she said.

“That will do for now.” He turned his attention to his ship.

Too soon, and yet not soon enough, Lotor was landing in front of her childhood home. She had seen Black Lion first, massive and watchful, such a relief. And then her friends—it felt as though she had lived a lifetime since she had last seen them—they dashed out into the sunlight as soon as the ship touched down, Lance, Pidge, Kei— Allura stared. She blinked and then stared some more.

“Oh, look,” Lotor drawled just above her ear, “If it isn’t my very favorite lion pilot, Captain Kogane.”

Deliberately misinterpreting her shocked silence, he continued, his silky purr just as false as it was conciliatory, “Forgive me, Allura. I mean, my second favorite lion pilot.”

On to Chapter 23

Why you should never trust someone's current landlord

2015-05-07T17:17:46Z

I just lied my head off for my current tenant. I don't believe I answered any of the questions truthfully.

Did she pay on time? Yes. [Maybe once or twice]
Did she ever keep unreported pets? No. [If you don't count a cat as a pet]
Did you ever hear complaints about her dogs? No. [I think I just complained to other people]
Would you rent to her again? Absolutely. [Not]

Landlords with obnoxious tenants have a powerful incentive to give them glowing reviews, sadly.

Don't spam me when I have a head cold!

2015-03-24T17:57:49Z

Hello Moderator,
May I offer you the following announcement for your group to take advantage of? It outlines a wonderful opportunity for students to go to the museum Friday April 3, and take in the fine art and a band concert geared to please and stimulate our younger community members. Please consider announcing this for your group. If you reject it, maybe just a brief explanation why this is not considered a worthy offering for your group. Thank you.
-Joan

Hi Joan,
This group is for homeschoolers to connect with one another. I regularly get people who kindly want to connect homeschoolers to their excellent goods, services and causes instead, but that's not the purpose of this online forum so I do not post them. You suggest in your message that rejecting this announcement means that I don't consider the event a worthy offering (which insult I am invited to make explicit by condemning it to you in writing!). Some people suggest such things as a way of pressuring others to do their bidding under threat of hurt feelings, but I feel sure that's not the case here. It just didn't occur to you that there might be a completely different explanation for the inaction on my part. Please be assured that I consider this event to be worthy, and I hope it's successful.
Sincerely,
The Moderator

Spring is here

2015-03-05T02:37:19Z

The boys and I got our Wednesday chores done and then went to the beach and made s'mores with vegetarian marshmallows. I'm regretting the two I ate, but otherwise the day was spectacularly lovely. The neighborhood is still in a uniquely law-abiding mode. Totally Awesome 11YO is now Totally Awesome 12YO. Spike and Buffy are apparently together again for the first time. On the down side, two of our three incomes decided to go on vacation at the same time. To keep us company while they were gone they left an unexpected $3K tax bill and the discovery that a pricey king-size futon was needed stat as an unreported spill by one of the kids had quietly turned the current one into a biohazard. I have never tracked a package as closely as my new futon. Until it arrived we slept on an air mattress that needed to be re-inflated every evening and tended to find ourselves almost on the slats by morning.

I should see the earliest dahlia goodness arrive by the end of this month!! Good thing I had long since made all my dahlia orders as we are in super frugal mode for the duration. I even bought the kitties' Feline Leukemia vacs down at the feed store so we could do them ourselves this year. I haven't done that since we first moved out on our own.

Learning something new

2014-12-18T04:26:39Z

I've been busy. The Apartments of Doom are vanquished for now. I had no idea how much traffic and noise was issuing from thence until it was gone. The task took an entire posse from the Sheriff, and a multi-department sweep from the city, but the bad elements have been found accommodation elsewhere, and repairs and clean-up have commenced of a like never before seen.
Apropos perhaps, during this time the Mister and I finished up a marathon of all the seasons of Breaking Bad. I anti-shipped Mr. White and his poor wife. I understand that many people thought she was a horrible bitch for not understanding that her meth-cookin' lyin' woobie of a hubby was just showing his love in the best way he was able. I wonder if that is how it was for Spike haters watching Buffy.
Went to the Interfaith Gospel Choir concert for the first time. Had no idea they were such talented folks, and who would have thought a spectacular gospel singer from the deep South would ever tolerate our soggy weather? Right now, as it rains without end, it's hard to imagine that Summer ever was, that my garden was full of buzz and blossoms and warmth, but this rain is such a blessing. May it continue for many weeks more. In the mean time, it's time to order new dahlia varieties. I ordered a WHITE dahlia. A BIG white dahlia. Still not quite sure what came over me. We'll see if I actually plant it or not. In other news, I started doing the Jujitsu warm up with the kids, and then I started doing the entire class. It is actually super fun! And I can do forward rolls like a champ. I would never have guessed, and I must look like quite a nut in there with the kids. I just need to stop apologizing for punching people.
I've been reading the kids the Dragonlance Legends, favorites of mine from when I was 14YO's age. The prose is sooo clunky in a way I never appreciated before, 11YO cringes every time someone 'flushes' from some emotion or other, but the story moves right along, and Raistlin Majere is just as delightfully evil and white-haired as ever. The kids and I are all loving it. I can't resist the occasional dialog insertion: "Master, are you all right? You seem to be monologing..." I find myself easily coaxed into reading late into the night.
Also, kinda in love with Detective Gordon from Gotham. Likin' that show. I keep watching Elementary though it puts me to sleep without fail.

People are annoying me. Maybe I'm getting old?

2014-10-15T19:38:34Z

Just broke up with a prospective tenant. I've been trying to work with her long distance. And then it turned out she had only $2K in verifiable assets, and no job lined up up here, she's going back to school, and no proof of grants, etc. So I agreed that her mom could cosign and I sent a lease I drew up with both their names, and instead of signing it she made changes to it and sent it back. Now, this is totally reasonable and fine for her to do, but dude, I was just suddenly done! Done I tell you! Now she wants me to call her. I could. Or I could go read fan fiction and rent it to someone else. Hmmm, what to do?

It's weird to have people applying to me. My instinct is to be helpful, but I have to keep reminding myself that if they can't read the ad, or follow the instructions on the application, or have a job, it might not bode well for their desirability as a tenant. And you learn about people like the young couple working three minimum wage jobs between them, trying to find housing while owning a pitbull dog and expecting a baby in a few months, and the 93-year-old WWII vet and his caregiver trying to get out of a roach motel.

And then there's the lady on my board who keeps trying to siphon money from our organization's coffers into other causes. This time she was trying to drum up business for a leadership seminar she's affiliated with to the tune of $1800 per person to be paid for by our organization. NO! JUST NO! *stomps feet*

I'm only 40, but I'm beginning to understand why there are housing developments that are seniors only! No boom cars and kids on your lawn! Bah!

Mwah! The Power!!!

2014-10-03T19:24:44Z

The Mister and I recently went through all the steps to move a land line phone number to Google Voice and ditched the business land line. Not only does this save us about $70 a month, it also gives us THE POWER. The power to program the phones to only ring during certain times. No more East Coast customers ringing before the birds awake, no more robo call hiccups in the middle of the night, etc. It's not like this has been a big problem, but still, it's sweet to know it will never happen again.

Neighborhood is still blissfully, almost eerily quiet. Surveillance cameras were the best $300 I have ever spent. Got the graffiti painted over and the giant hedge trimmed, complete with ladder climbing and power tools, all in one day. I felt very productive.

Nothing some a little video surveillance couldn't solve

2014-10-01T18:38:35Z

We installed cameras on the alley a couple days ago. And yesterday the new apartment manager put up one sign telling people to behave and another warning them that there was 24 hour surveillance now. The difference is astonishing. I didn't realize how much of the traffic noise around here was due the the AoD until it was gone. It's like night and day.

Also, I talked to Mr. Gold Chains' replacement, Mr. No Features of Interest, and he says Mr. GC died while out of town visiting family with no mention of homicide. Shows you neighborhood gossip in action.

Couldn't he just write a passive aggressive note?

2014-09-28T01:22:56Z

The Mister was in the garage when he heard the spray can. Far from just being too close with his project, a fine gentleman was in fact making our garage his billboard. He was unrepentant. Seems he has a young niece living in the Apartments of Doom across the alley and claims they also house a child molester. His plan was to spray-paint "F*#$ child molesters" on our garage; everyone knows that graffiti scares child predators straight. Sadly, The Mister interrupted him, so now it just says "F*#$ child".

Out of all the properties on my block, the AoD is the only one to have declined. There was a buff guy in the classic uniform of wife-beater with gold chains who seemed to be in charge. I actually got along pretty well with him, and it gave me a chuckle when he would call to his two tiny chihuahuas, Princess and Precious. Unfortunately, he disappeared a few months ago, murdered in a hotel room in another state. I expect he was involved in extra-legal activities, probably pot, and things weren't exactly great under his lead, but without him things have gotten very bad. Open IV drug use/deals, syringes, fights, garbage and broken down cars, and now graffiti for the first time in ever. I know it's 'ever' because that garage had NO paint on it at all.

The security cameras are going up today, and I looked up the owner of the property. Long past time for step one: a certified letter. Wish me luck!

Raising the bar in home repairs

2014-09-22T22:00:40Z

The Mister pulled the back off of our dryer when 14YO reported it was making a weird noise. We were expecting something was interfering with a belt. We were right, but we were not expecting it to be a poor electrocuted 'possum. Seems it crawled up the exhaust vent from the outside and met a sad fate. It was awful for everyone concerned. It had been gone from this world for some days and it's mortal remains... well, they didn't smell like a daisy. Now our hot water heater is acting up. Frankly, if a home repair doesn't involve a dead 'possum, these days it seems like a breeze.

Dahlias

2014-09-05T23:26:02Z

Dahlia trip was great except we went south this time. I love my state, but I swear, the drivers are crazy. Particularly memorable was when I rounded a turn on twisty Highway 1 in the dark and discovered someone in my lane. Guess they were in a hurry to get on with their vacation and decided to try some illegal passing. They ducked back into their lane with seconds to spare. Glad I didn't have to find out how my airbags worked or whether the guard rail would have kept us from plummenting into the ocean 200 feet below. :P Information I don't need. When I drive North instead, it's like I can feel the sanity wafting down from Canada or something. Still, ate a lot of good food and saw a lot of beautiful dahlias.

Here are some bouquets I put together for my mom's birthday yesterday. The kiddos made some really cute cards to go with, and we left them in her kitchen to surprise her. She was happy.

Random News

2014-08-17T13:30:40Z

Trite but true: Jeff the corn snake is a girl.

I gave 8YO a tiny multi-tool that I got at a fund raiser since both of his brothers have one. Today he put it to work pulling his two loose baby teeth. Holy moly! He offered his amateur dental skills to 11YO. 11YO said no.

Dahlias are started to get going, about half are in bloom. I should take pics!

Alley of nope

2014-07-28T22:08:14Z

They looked they little wraiths, tiny tornados, three of them. We had just started walking down the alley at dusk on our regular walk. "What's that?" We all stopped and peered at the whirling apparitions up ahead. And then my brain parsed something out. "Uh, I think we should go back. They're skunks. With their tails all up." We backed out onto the street, but stopped there, mesmerized. "OMG there's four now!" Joined a few minutes later by a fifth one. I have no idea what they were doing, but it involved hopping around while holding straight up a tail the size and shape of a large cotton candy.

Busy morning

2014-07-16T21:51:22Z

I spent the morning watching Tom Hiddleston on YouTube with the kids and then sent them to the kitchen to make milkshakes while I moseyed out to the garden to turn on a soaker hose. That's when I realized the Mister was still at home.

"Oh. We're usually much more nutritional and hardworking."

I know he believed me.

Emerald Awesomeness Bee at 12 O'Clock

2014-06-01T00:07:07Z

I'm watching a candidate forum so as to vote in the June primary. One of candidates' solution to everything is for everyone to drop what they're doing and start growing marijuana. You think I am exaggerating or poking fun. I'm not. I could literally use the word literally in this situation.

Had a good lighting day yesterday so I got a few more pics.

Agapostemon texanus on a blue thimble flower

Ladybird poppies

Native annuals. Cream cups and purple collinsia.

Agastache, cream cups, clarkia and chives.

Botias carefully cropped images of garden happiness

2014-05-27T22:08:10Z

Plus, my first very own personal gingerbread on the shed and garage. I've admired the sunbursts on other people's Victorian homes, and now I have some of my very own. I kept waiting for the perfect day to photograph my garden: overcast enough so that it wasn't a glarey blur, bright enough that the wildflowers were open. And then the day came! And my camera's batteries were dead. So, glarey it is, but pretty too, I hope.

I love these native cream cups, and I'm so happy the agastache is happy. It overwintered without a hiccup.

The tall blue flowers are new to me this year. Blue thimbleflowers are a native wildflower, and it turns out they attract these tiny, iridescent emerald, native bees. It wasn't an everyday thing to see one in season's past, but now that this plant is blooming, there always seem to be a couple sipping from it. Their common name is 'sweat bee' but I would have chosen something different.

I used to look with envy at the CA poppies blooming their heads off everywhere but my garden, but then I fumbled onto whatever they like somewhere along the way, and I'm thrilled. The blue flowers are nemophila, they self sow happily. I notice though that I got longer bloom because I planted some from a packet 'just in case'. Might try to copy that next year.

The Purple Shed!

I found the snake!

2014-05-24T19:29:58Z

Jeff the baby corn snake has been AWOL from his tank for a few days. We've been worried the cat would get him or that he would crawl into the heating ducts and starve. But I lifted the winter coats out of a laundry basket and there he was! Much rejoicing, and the edition of weights to the tank lid.

In other news, the Mister and I road tripped south. He found us a camp ground near the San Jose valley. Unbeknownst to us, the road turned into something a bit like driving along the edge of a skyscraper. I am terrified of heights so that was white-knuckled. But, just over the crest were rolling grasslands and live oaks with the observatory gleaming white on the next ridge, and waking up to golden sunlight, dueling woodpeckers and wild turkeys.

My spring annuals are going gangbusters. Pics soon I hope.

I'm a little sore

2014-04-26T14:10:39Z

But 90YO will be warm this winter. Grandpa (70YO?), the kiddos and I split her firewood into chunks small enough for her to handle and stacked it all. If this were a fairytale, we'd all be soon to acquire a valuable magical object, and likely marry royalty. Trip to San Francisco was very cool. Loved the Georgia O'Keefe exhibit, kids liked the sharks and the planetarium. 8YO acquired a shark puppet. It's a leopard shark. This natural talent for camouflage means it must be a secret agent. I'm told it has a name, but I don't have the security clearance for it. The shark is publicly to be referred to as Spy Shark.

And now I must do the newsletter. I've put it off so long, it's now a combined issue. I'm going to challenge myself, see if I can get it done in an hour.

So excited!

2014-04-14T19:28:53Z

I'm getting lots done in my garden, and it's looking awesome. Most of my dahlias are in the ground including almost 40 new varieties. Did I mention I'm excited? And I've been selling tubers on craigslist this year for the first time. About $400 worth so far! Not a profit, I'm sure, but at least an offset. My mama is funny. She mentioned that she wanted to go on a day trip to San Francisco to celebrate the end of a busy tax season at her office. I suggested this would combine well with the California Dahlia Society tuber sale this weekend that I was hoping to attend. Perhaps we could go together? Now all three kids are coming, there are two nights at a hotel, and to put the cap on it: "You weren't actually planning on buying any plants or anything were you? I don't think there will be room in the car with all the luggage." Oh no, I was only going to the sale to sniff the tubers. Hah! There will be room in the car. Poor mama, in addition to her tax time labors, she's been living in an episode of Justified lately. First, someone left a body on the country road outside her house, then fleeing pot growers went by her on the freeway at 100 mph+ :( (please to legalize soonist) and then a bobcat got her last two chickens. She needs a vaycay.

Put down my non-con and back away!

2014-04-02T22:28:34Z

I've been reading the torments of a lovely, intelligent, sex-positive, feminist sex researcher who has felt obligated to pick up 50 Shades and give it a read. Oh dear. I'm sure you can imagine the book is filled with all sorts of consent violations and sex tropes that aren't actually true and are even harmful. The most common being that genital reactions in women mean they are aroused or welcome the stimulus that caused it.

I've read her reactions to erotic fiction before, and it's clear she feels it should be cleansed of anything that would not be appropriate in real life, especially bad consent stuff. But! But! Fiction is NOT real life. That's why we consume fiction. Look at Harry Potter. He's a child soldier. A horrifically neglected, orphaned, child soldier. True, it has been widely banned by evangelical types, but not because it's a horrific example of how to raise children. Instead it's banned because of what makes it work: the fantastical elements that make it easy to divorce ourselves from the horror fest it would be in real life and vicariously enjoy the adventure and risk. Maybe she'd like 50 Shades better if it still had vampires, but probably not.

ETA: Now I'm trying to think of other fiction that could be cleansed. Perhaps Romeo and Juliet of all that nasty tragedy and hormonal stupids?

Surprise! Giant Tax Bill!

2014-03-30T01:19:41Z

After years of getting money back I cheerfully did my taxes this year, only to find myself hyperventilating instead. Is... that a negative? As in I owe? Followed by a 4 digit number? With a $50 penalty for owing too much?? But I'm pretty well over the shock, and will have managed to scrape it together I think.
Saw the Liam Neeson on a Plane movie. Decent flick. It was a bit surreal, because we had a fairly good sized and looong lasting earthquake during a period of turbulence in the movie. Earthquakes are directional, and it stopped one of my pendulum clocks, but started another that was facing a different direction. My poor mom was closer to the quake, it was a bit more like a poltergeist attack. She said that if the earthquake had been oriented another way, one of their light fixtures would have smashed into a window, it was swinging so vigorously.
We're all just recovering from the Cold Of Doom. The poor Mister has had to work all through it. He warned his clients that he was sick in hopes they would wish to reschedule, but most of them had either had it or were recovering and had no mercy. Fortunately not too many tub deliveries for me, I doused myself liberally with hand sanitizer.

I'm in the biz

2014-03-20T03:41:46Z

I've been digging and dividing dahlia tubers for the last week. Somehow, when I wish I had more and more dahlias, I never think about this part. I listed my extras on Craigslist for the first time and today I made my first sale! 20 smackeroos. It will be interesting to see how it works out. There's not much flowering yet on the decorative side of things, but the fruiting stuff can't wait around I guess, work to be done: apples, pears, peaches, pluots, blueberries, blackberries, are all blooming away. In other news, the hospital here in town is looking into allowing my labor pool service. Could be interesting. Tonight, I'm writing an overview of my service to submit. I won't hold my breath. Understandably, hospitals rush into nothing. I think it took a couple of years for the progressive hospital I work with to develop a waterbirth program. Ah well, the ox is slow, but the earth is patient.

Less fun, I think I'm having my first sinus infection. At first I thought it was just my cold. The horrid headaches went away after the first week, but I still feel a bit weird and easily tired. I keep thinking I ought to go get an antibiotic perhaps, but every day I feel just a little bit better more myself, so I'm reluctant to go to the trouble.

13YO is taller than I am, and his shoe size has exceeded the Mister's. My goodness! 5 foot 7 something. I can't help but be proud, like he is a prize pumpkin or something. I'm so proud of my handsome boys. They are so much nicer than I was at their age. Nicer to each other, and to their parents (thank goodness). Although my mom tells me that 8YO is much like I was, and you can tell she gets a certain punitive satisfaction from that.

And finally storming and rain! Must be time for a road trip

2014-02-19T04:03:21Z

I am so glad to see the rain. It makes me think of Christmas and childhood. I'm sure the Mister wouldn't have minded the dry weather for one more weekend though. We drove up to his marksmanship workshop over flooded roads and great torrents of rivers with giant logs floating down them. I kept myself busy while he perfected his craft. He said that his rifle got gawked at by the Oregonians. California has an 'assault rifle' ban. Since there is no such thing as an 'assault rifle', lawmakers were reduced to outlawing features that make a gun look, well, like the guns they see bad guys using in movies. So a legal rifle in California, IF it has a detachable magazine, cannot have an adjustable stock, flash hider, or pistol grip. These things don't make the gun easier to use in a crime, or more deadly in some way, but they do make the gun look more 'military'. Gun manufacturers almost immediately rendered the law moot by changing the design of the magazine attachment: a 'bullet button' style arrangement in which the magazine does require a tool to detach it, but the 'tool' is either a bullet, or a small magnetized button that can be left attached, but is nominally a separate tool.
Anyway, the Mister opted to have an old-fashioned detachable magazine, meaning he must eschew features that most people consider standard.