This Is Getting So Exciting! I Can't Wait To See Wherever Veyra Wants To Take Them. And Also Who Else
This is getting so exciting! I can't wait to see wherever Veyra wants to take them. And also who else is on her team. It sounds intimidating, though it's definitely one of the few chances they have at safety.
Though I am a little confused when it comes to Veyra's description. She is originally described with white hair, and then dark hair. You may want to clarify for readers.
Chapter 5 - Mysteries.
They followed her at a distance—neither too close to spook her, nor too far to lose her in the crowd. She moved through the market with the kind of grace Jesse only ever saw in dancers or predators. Her coat was long, matte black with subtle electric-blue threading that shimmered like circuit lines when it caught the dim light. It didn’t match the worn, chaotic energy of the market; it was too clean, too calculated.
Her boots struck the ground with purpose, soles silent despite the grit beneath them. Jesse noticed the way people seemed to part for her, even without realizing it—like their instincts warned them to keep a respectful distance. She wasn’t just any local.
Lira leaned in close to whisper, “She’s not armed—at least not obviously. But look at her posture. Center of gravity’s low, hips slightly forward… Combat trained.”
“Military?” Jesse murmured.
“More likely corpo security. Or worse—ex-corpo, off-leash.”
Jesse kept her eyes fixed on the woman’s hair—a sharp, asymmetrical bob dyed white-blonde, the ends faded into an unnatural cyan that pulsed faintly under the neon signs. The back of her neck was bare, save for a glowing datajack with an old corporate logo burned into the skin like a scar that never fully healed.
She’s not hiding where she came from, Jesse thought. She wants us to know.
The woman glanced over her shoulder once—just once. Sharp eyes like twin razors. No surprise, no fear. Just confirmation.
“She knows,” Jesse whispered.
Lira nodded grimly. “Good. Makes it easier to skip the lies when the shit hits the fan.”
The woman chuckled, a soft sound that felt oddly out of place against the sharp edges of her presence. “Hopefully the only thing blowing up is going to be Omnigen, dears.”
Jesse tensed at the name. “I assume you’ve done your research?”
“Of course I have. Can’t go scouting for new team members without knowing exactly who you are.” Her voice was calm, clipped, like the decision had already been made for them.
“Team members?” Lira’s tone sharpened. “We tend to fly just the two of us. Not sure how well that’s going to fit into your little operation.”
The woman didn’t flinch. “Oh, I don’t expect that to change. Omnigen—and every other corpo snake—has eyes on you. If you suddenly had backup, they'd double their security before we had a chance to strike.”
They trailed behind the woman through a narrow alley choked with rusted fire escapes and neon reflections bouncing off puddles. The city’s usual noise faded to a distant hum, replaced by the sharp clicks of the woman’s boots echoing against the damp concrete.
Jesse quickened her pace just slightly, stepping closer. “So…who are you exactly?” Her voice was soft yet eager, the corners of her mouth twitching with the hint of a grin. “I mean clearly you know us, it feels kinda unfair not to know your name.”
The woman glanced over her shoulder with a half-smile. “Call me Veyra. That’s all you need for now.”
Lira stayed behind them, eyes sweeping over rooftops, windows, any reflective surface. She didn’t like how quiet this part of town was—it wasn’t abandoned, just… too still. “And what exactly do you want with us, Veyra?” Her fingers flexed, itching for the comfort of something familiar—like the spray can she kept clipped to her belt.
“I want what you want,” Veyra said simply. “To burn the rot out of this city. But if we don’t get smart about it, we’ll die trying.”
Jesse furrowed her brow. “I assume that means building a team?”
Veyra nodded slowly. “A decentralized cell. One no one can pin down. You two are ghosts—they’ve already spun stories about your ‘terrorist ring.’ Let them think it’s bigger than it really is.”
Lira narrowed her eyes. “You’re talking like you’ve already made the decision for us.”
Veyra stopped suddenly, turning to face them fully for the first time. In the dim light, Jesse could finally get a better look at her—mid-thirties maybe, sharp cheekbones, a jagged scar bisecting her left eyebrow. Her hair was dark and cropped close, her leather coat having seen more years than it should have. But her eyes… her eyes burned like dying stars.
“I’m talking like I’ve been doing this longer than you’ve been breathing,” Veyra said. “But I haven’t survived this long by forcing people into fights they don’t believe in.”
Jesse tilted her head, intrigued. “Then why us?”
“Because you started something.” Veyra spoke calmly, eyes flicking from Jesse to Lira. “And because you don’t look away when the world bleeds.”
Lira folded her arms tightly. “That’s not a compliment. It’s a death sentence.”
Veyra didn’t disagree.
She simply shrugged, a faint smile creeping across her features. “And yet here you both are—following a strange woman who has a very obvious corpo past.”
“We don’t exactly have a better option,” Jesse replied, her voice firm and muscles tensed. “The apartment’s compromised, and we don’t have many alleys or markets to hide in.”
Veyra smirked, sensing the tension in the air. “Your apartment never was truly. Omnigen already knew exactly where you lived. They let you stay there to lull you into a false sense of security—until you started making too much noise. They wanted to scare you into submission, stop you from joining something bigger. Like my team.”
Lira clenched her fists at her side, her voice was ice cold. “And who says we’re joining your damn team?”
“I didn’t say you were,” Veyra said calmly. “I just figured I’d show you a place that’s safer than your busted apartment or the middle of a protest about to be gunned down.”
Lira and Jesse both froze, stealing a glance at each other.
“That…does sound like a better deal than just hoping we don’t catch another bullet.” Lira said, her voice an admission of guilt and defeat that Jesse had never heard before. Softer, more willing to submit to Veyra’s words.
Jesse watched carefully, unsure what scared her more: the bullets, or the tone in Lira’s voice.
More Posts from Moremysteries and Others
📖Help Rural Library After Fire 🚒
Thought I would try to signal boost for this small village. The library in the village of Prescott, Michigan was lost in a fire last month. While the building was insured, they need donations to keep summer programs running and other temporary needs. They still need supplies, including storage and craft supplies for the kids!
Donate on their website ● Amazon wishlist ● Updates on FB ● News article
Please reblog to boost! I know book lovers here understand how important libraries are.
Can we make this post do numbers? 💥
Writing update 5/8/2025
It's time for another writing update. Still working on Every Hero Needs a Villain, my object head project. I'm making my way through the character bios. I am trying to just get the basics down, then I'll go over them again and add more personality. Here's Spark's description, because I thought it was cute:
They have a gently yellow and ruffled lamp shade with a lighter and brighter light bulb on their head. They typically wear a skirt that matches paired with a lighter blouse or suit top. Their clothes typically having a shimmering or glittery component to them. They sometimes wear different lamp shades for different effects, having a particular fondness for colorful glass lamp shades for special events, or cloth dotted lamp shades when they're feeling cute. Sometimes they don't even wear a lamp shade for emphasis.
I definitely want to edit it for readability, but so far so good! I hope to have all the bios down by the end of the week, and will notify y'all on Sunday if this is the case.
Taglist: @aweirdshipp, @floofyboi57, @aralithmenathere
Beta Reader Call!
I am currently polishing up the third draft of my portal fantasy novel, A Song in the Wilderness, which means it's finally time for one of my favorite parts of the writing process: beta reading! I have already reached out to a couple of regular readers, but I am in search of two or three more beta readers to give me some fresh eyes on this story.
Have you always wanted to try beta reading but don’t want too much pressure? Do you need more reading material to while away the sweet summer hours (or cold winter nights, for my Southern Hemisphere friends)? Are you eager for a chance to take a red pen (literal or otherwise) to someone else's writing? Do you want a quiet, character-driven story about faith, duty, and sacrifice? This might be the project for you!
Note: Responses must be submitted by May 12th.
*If you are interested in reading this story but don't want the pressure of formal beta-reading or if the deadline doesn't work for you, please see my note near the bottom.*
A bit about the story:
More than ten years ago, Paige tripped through a portal and ended up in a different world—with no way to get back. She arrived with nothing but the clothes on her back, a kitten in her pocket, and strange new powers that nearly destroyed her before she learned how to deal with them. The people of this world taught Paige to survive. Like her, they have had to eke out a living on the far side of their own apocalypse, carving out a tenuous peace in a world ravaged by war and disease. Over the years, many of those people have become her friends, and one of them hopes for something more. But Paige doesn't want more. All she has to live for is the hope that one day she will find the answers she seeks. All she wants is to go home. And then everything Paige has come to know about this world changes in a moment. The high king of the northern clans is dead. War is brewing across the desert. Paige's friends are looking to her, with her strange Traveler's gifts, to help them survive. Paige has no desire to be drawn into this conflict. Instead, deciding she has nothing to lose, she makes a desperate gamble. That gamble takes her into the wilderness, where she finally learns just how much she must give up in order to gain the one thing she wants most. A Song in the Wilderness is a portal fantasy about learning to live on the other side of your own apocalypse. "This story broke me. I am completely at its mercy." - My sister
Estimated word count: 85,000 words (roughly 330 pages in standard book format; around the same length as Persuasion, The Secret Garden, Sabriel, The King of Attolia, and Cinder)
Note: This is not (in my opinion) the kind of story I typically write. There is very little action. The plot is character-driven and is heavily introspective, examining faith, responsibility, and relationships of all sorts. Outside of events that cover three or four chapters, there's no clear antagonist. Where it does align with my usual writing is in themes of grief, sense of place, and hope.
Project tag on tumblr (mostly spoiler-free)
What I need from my readers:
Open, honest feedback about:
Plot/story structure: Does it make sense? Is it compelling?
Characters: Are they consistent and realistic, with clear motives, believable choices and actions, and distinct personalities?
World-building and writing style: Is it concise, or is it simply swimming in exposition? How is the pacing? Also, exactly how much attention should I put on transitions from one scene to the next?
With this being a third draft story, my main concern right now is the overall structure of the story. I need to know what works, what doesn't, and what needs more attention in the next round of revisions. Whether you prefer to leave editorial or reactionary comments, line-by-line or in summary, so long as you can point out the story and writing issues that stand out to you, we’ll get along just fine. You do not need to have prior beta reading experience, just a willingness to read critically and offer honest feedback.
Note: If at any time you decide, for any reason at all, that you won't be able to complete this beta reading project, you only have to shoot me a message to let me know. There are absolutely no hard feelings. I've been there.
Dates and things:
This project will run from May 17th to June 30th. You can read the story at your own pace any time within that time frame, but I do ask that you have the project completed and your notes submitted by June 30th.
I will have a questionnaire for you to fill out at the end of your reading. Additional notes can be in-line comments in the document itself or in a summary either emailed or messaged to me--whichever and however much works for you. I am open for messages if you randomly decide you want to discuss details with me. (PLEASE talk to me about my writing! It's my favorite thing!)
Most of my readers prefer to work in Google Docs for the convenient comments feature, but we can look at other options if necessary.
If interested:
Complete the reader request form here by Monday, May 12th! Note that there is a link on the first page to the prologue and first chapter, so you can get an idea of my style and make sure it works for you.
If I get enough readers before the 12th, I will consider closing requests for now.
*If you are interested in reading this story but don't want the pressure of beta-reading or the deadline, please feel free to still contact me! Either I can still add you to my list, but for a more casual reading of this third draft, or I can put your name on the list for the fourth draft (date TBD, hopefully around August or September).*
A bit about the writer:
I'm a 30-something office admin by day, spec-fic writer by night, and hapless backyard gardener when the mood strikes me. Most of my stories start out as a "what if?", with characters piling into the clown car as soon as I have a vague setting worked out in which to answer the pivotal question. My least favorite step of any writing project is the rough draft. In writing, I try to follow Jane Austen’s philosophy: “My characters shall have, after a little trouble, all that they desire.” Most of the time I manage it.
My writing trademarks according to my writing group are: forehead kisses, protagonists with a martyr complex, way too many side characters, good dialogue, “repressed Victorian romance plots”, keen examinations of grief, and just a pinch of MelodramaTM.
You can find samples of my writing right here on tumblr:
Zenith Station (sci-fi short story collection, always ongoing)
Or on Dreamwidth:
The Tides That Bind (low fantasy, last completed novel)
"what do you do to contribute to society" i post my ocs to tumblr dot com lol.... 5 people on there like them.......
Writing Update 5/15/2025
Hi hi! For the most part, I've finished the hero side of the worldbuilding. I mostly just have to think of more holidays. Anyways, here are the categories of heroes for anyone interested (keep in mind this is a draft that needs more polish):
Commons - Heroes that represent common hopes and dreams.
Pinnacles - Heroes that represent hopes that are achievable, but need a lot of work to become reality, and depend highly on the direction of the future. This can include heroes that represent concepts like world peace or futuristic technology.
Ambitions - Heroes that represent hopes and dreams that are more personal, such as hopes for one's family, personal goals, and so on.
Unattainables - Heroes that represent human desires or dreams which can not be attained. Some are obvious like those based on things like flying or shape shifting dreams, while others are more abstract and connect to humans attempting to disregard their humanity.
Tag list: @aweirdshipp, @floofyboi57, @aralithmenathere
If this isn't a mood idk what is lol.
I can normally picture my characters in my head really easily, but the villain of my current WIP was eluding me until today. I kept getting stuck trying to describe him. Some brainstorming with my writing group finally gave me an idea of what he should look like. Unfortunately, now that I can see him, I am, predictably, in love with him
white people go like “is anyone going to redesign this nonhuman evil character as a poc?” and not wait for an answer
I just wanted to thank you all for taking the survey, showing interest in my work, and to assure you that this has not been forgotten, it's simply being worked on in the background. I'm making a blog with a pinned post that will link to other, important information post, like world building goodies and character profiles. I wanna ensure all of that is done before sharing it with y'all. I'm also considering the approach I want to take with this idea, and stuck between two ideas at the current moment. When I have more substantial snippets, I'll share them here.
@floofyboi57, @aralithmenathere
Hey, I made a survey for the recent writing project I am working on. If you want, feel free to fill it out. The questions may feel a bit random at times, but I promise they are relevant. And may have something to do with kissable object head people.
Minors please do not interact
Writing update 5/1/2025
I am continuing to write Sleep Laughing slowly but surely. I'm getting caught up in making the logs detailed, and trying to get myself to realize, "you need to write the skeleton of this idea before you can go into the depths of this character's suffering". And also, during the first logs he's so weak/in so much pain he's barely concious or thinking straight, so it makes sense why they're not as detailed.
Still, I managed to get extremely good progress for logs 7 and 8. Here's my favorite snippet (tw body horror and agony):
I've come to a conclusion. Even if I am in Hell, it really isn't such a bad thing. It just means I'm being punished, and, if I'm being punished, that means there's a chance to redeem myself, right? Every single agony I experience is a debt being paid, a sin washed away. This pain isn't a curse. No… …this pain is a blessing! It's giving me a chance to repent for everything. Oh God I'm sorry, I'm so sorry. I'll never do it again. So please, just let the light take me!
Also, I am looking for beta readers for my stories The Diary of Spinel Bramford and The Breeding Grounds. You can find their descriptions here. If that'd interest you, please let me know!
Taglist: @aweirdshipp
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