VSS - 2022-09
Tweeted story snippets using vssCollab and optional prompts. A * denotes a prompt word.
20 - *Autumn’s *dormant seed of wanderlust sprouted stubbornly. We still couldn’t travel far for our safety, but I gathered the kits. “Where should we go today?” They shouted, “Nijou!” So we *traversed Kyoto. 21 - I *presume they chose Nijou—Tokugawa’s Castle—because kitsune *hearts hold mischief. Taka and Yuri giggled when we entered the outer palace. “Squeaky floors, you will not chirp under our feet!” Then we waited until the other tourists passed. 22 - *First, Taka got down on his hands and knees to *analyze the boards. Yuri tromped across to expose the squeaks. Each tried valiantly to cross silently without magic. It brought chuckles from the caretakers as they shooed us out for closing. 23 - “Why are they closing early?” Yuri asked. “They said the typhoon’s bad. The busses might stop. Let’s hurry home.” I patted the kits’ heads, a reassurance *formula. As we left the main building, a *misshapen form appeared on a shoji screen. 24 - The caretaker urged us to hurry as we put up our umbrellas, while his *partner gaped at the *fanged shadow. “Go! Get the children out of here!” “I have experience dealing with the *paranormal,” I offered. ”Are you a priest?” 25 - “Onmyouji. I’ve *forayed into this type of yokai’s territory before.” ”That old magic? Does it even work?” The caretaker’s head jerked back. “Let me *talk to the creature and you will see.” I winked and pulled a talisman from my jacket. 26 - “Can we help?” Taka’s eyes shined brightly. I couldn’t *ship the kits to a safer place, but they still had *nightmares from losing their parents. “Can you stay *calm, even if this yokai is angry?” The twins nodded. 27 - Be *brave. I took a deep breath. In the *passage, I whispered a protection *spell over our little group and knelt to open the shoji door. Something whipped from the room and rapped me on the head as a voice rasped, “Ignorant whelp!” 28 - Taka yelped as it continued to abuse me, and I held a finger to my mouth. Time to *shift the focus. “Yokai-sama, am I correct that you’re angry over wasted knowledge?” “You young ones have no *integrity! What care you for learning!” 29 - We know the problem’s *origin. Good. “Actually, I’m a university professor. I’m friends with the head librarian—” Another thwack to the head. “Hrmph! I will not be locked away and abandoned again!” “Your *fate would be different.” 30 - Silence. “This library has more of your kind and they’ve flourished. Let us help you *vacate this lonely spot to for an active learning *destination.” An ancient, ornate scroll with a dragon’s head peeked into the light. “I’m not alone?”
Abandoned in Kyoto
Hoji and the kit twins play tourist before a hurricane hits. Will they be able to rescue another yokai along the way and make it home safely?Related Characters
20 - *Autumn’s *dormant seed of wanderlust sprouted stubbornly. We still couldn’t travel far for our safety, but I gathered the kits. “Where should we go today?” They shouted, “Nijou!” So we *traversed Kyoto. 21 - I *presume they chose Nijou—Tokugawa’s Castle—because kitsune *hearts hold mischief. Taka and Yuri giggled when we entered the outer palace. “Squeaky floors, you will not chirp under our feet!” Then we waited until the other tourists passed. 22 - *First, Taka got down on his hands and knees to *analyze the boards. Yuri tromped across to expose the squeaks. Each tried valiantly to cross silently without magic. It brought chuckles from the caretakers as they shooed us out for closing. 23 - “Why are they closing early?” Yuri asked. “They said the typhoon’s bad. The busses might stop. Let’s hurry home.” I patted the kits’ heads, a reassurance *formula. As we left the main building, a *misshapen form appeared on a shoji screen. 24 - The caretaker urged us to hurry as we put up our umbrellas, while his *partner gaped at the *fanged shadow. “Go! Get the children out of here!” “I have experience dealing with the *paranormal,” I offered. ”Are you a priest?” 25 - “Onmyouji. I’ve *forayed into this type of yokai’s territory before.” ”That old magic? Does it even work?” The caretaker’s head jerked back. “Let me *talk to the creature and you will see.” I winked and pulled a talisman from my jacket. 26 - “Can we help?” Taka’s eyes shined brightly. I couldn’t *ship the kits to a safer place, but they still had *nightmares from losing their parents. “Can you stay *calm, even if this yokai is angry?” The twins nodded. 27 - Be *brave. I took a deep breath. In the *passage, I whispered a protection *spell over our little group and knelt to open the shoji door. Something whipped from the room and rapped me on the head as a voice rasped, “Ignorant whelp!” 28 - Taka yelped as it continued to abuse me, and I held a finger to my mouth. Time to *shift the focus. “Yokai-sama, am I correct that you’re angry over wasted knowledge?” “You young ones have no *integrity! What care you for learning!” 29 - We know the problem’s *origin. Good. “Actually, I’m a university professor. I’m friends with the head librarian—” Another thwack to the head. “Hrmph! I will not be locked away and abandoned again!” “Your *fate would be different.” 30 - Silence. “This library has more of your kind and they’ve flourished. Let us help you *vacate this lonely spot to for an active learning *destination.” An ancient, ornate scroll with a dragon’s head peeked into the light. “I’m not alone?”
These Very Short Stories (VSS) posted on Twitter relate to my book series the Liminal Chronicles.
This set of VSSes was written for the month's vssCollab challenge.
Prompts Used
(from vssCollab unless otherwise noted)Contents
Comments