The walk happens the way weekend walks happen - without planning, Emily suggesting it over coffee, the two of us ending up on the path along the reservoir without having formally decided to go there.

It's a good morning for it. The spring air still cool enough to need a light layer, the trees along the path in the green of early May that doesn't last, the reservoir flat and grey-blue in the morning light. Emily walks beside me with her coffee in a travel mug and I walk beside her and we don't talk much, which is the right amount.

“Yeah, practically an all-new me...”

Pete's Vagina
86. Conversion
by Erin Halfelven

Chapter 5

Going back to school felt more intimidating than facing the training chamber.

With apologies to Ambrose Bierce author of the famous American Civil War story. There was no redemption in that story, nor is there any in this.

Only read on when you have read the Cautions.

This story reflects the attitudes of the time in which it’s set.

The groups involved are not important. The story is about attitudes, not politics.

******************************************************************************************************************

Torn from his own world and stuffed into the body of a villainess, facing the end of a doomed route he himself wrote, "Amelia" must navigate a world she really should know - too bad she was never great at worldbuilding.

Stuck in a world she (maybe) created, Amelia quickly finds that reality has filled in the details she failed to describe. The characters who were so flat when she wrote them now have nuance, and motives. The kingdom she wrote into existence is experiencing internal strife she never even thought about. And let's not even get into the complexities of the magic system, or the demon that forced her into this situation to begin with...

Oh, and then there's the fact that she's about to be arrested and executed... but surely she can come up with a way to write herself out of that, right?

...Right?

[Note - this section contains an alcohol-induced gap in Caden's memory with ambiguity around what happens during that gap, referenced later in the story. In case this is upsetting to some readers I'm giving warning here.]

---

The intercom buzzes twice before Hale's voice crackles through — "Who is it?" — the same baritone Caden had heard on a hundred conference calls, smooth as poured bourbon.

"Caden Voss." His voice comes out softer than he intended, vowels rounding at the edges.

A pause. The static hisses.

"Sorry?"

Chapter 5

For the moment, there wasn’t much that Marilyn could do. The two inspectors were making sure that when any tiny bit of information was discovered, it was placed in context and recorded. Everything needed to be kept in eleven murder books, one for each victim, as a trial may just pick one, with the others submitted to the judge before sentencing.

Darren Carver, known in the business as Icepick, gathers a team of skilled supervillains to help with a job.

This story takes place in the Whateley universe.

https://whateley.academy/index.php/forum/index

Cover art by Erin Halfelven
©2026, SammyC

Acidalia XXVI

By Amanda D.

Friday oct 9th

The Sisters compound 10:52amPDT:

“AAAAIIIEEEEEEEE…….”

Robi turned quickly in the direction of the sound as the unexpected scream pierced the ever-present noise of the infirmary.

“What the fuck was that?” Warren called from a couple rows away as he looked up from the patient he was attending.