Aftermath
Part 1: Kintsugi
By Tomi

Three years after leaving for a company training assignment, Haruto Akiyama comes home carrying wounds no one can fully see. Back at his old office, he struggles to fit into a life that continued without him while learning to accept a body that no longer feels entirely familiar.

Supported by his family, reunited with lifelong friends, and quietly welcomed back by a gentle coworker named Rina, Haruto begins discovering that healing is found not in extraordinary moments, but in ordinary days shared with people who never stopped believing in him.

On Monday, August 14, I tried to summon Aries and bring myself to the world of the Sea Men again, but as Jody this time. It didn’t quite work, though. I arrived in the world, but I was sleeping alone on the beach and the doll was just a doll, in my house. I decided that this answered one of my questions about the power in one of the ways I thought might be true. I could not summon Aries today because I was trying to summon her into a world where she already exists, even though that was some distance from here.

Melody, Bikini Time

There were lots of relatives I never saw or have met before. I was amazed we even had this many people related to us somehow. Since Mom had the bigger family, more of them had showed up for the family reunion. Her family mostly lived in the area while Dad’s were spread out across the country. For some reason Mom’s sisters and brothers seemed to have more female children, most of them about my age.

Chapter 3

Chapter 61: Segregation for Power

Royal Decree of Queen Yuqi

To all dragons of every class and clan:

CHAPTER 12
That really sealed the evening for us, but it left Amina silent in the cab home, which was unusual for her. She did the usual pottering about once we were home, putting away a few bits of crockery, then just led the way upstairs. It wasn’t until we were both settled under the duvet that she started to talk once more.

“I am so, so glad I’m not like those girls, love”

Wychwood - Overstrand’s Offer

One

After Overstrand and Sandy had finished lunch, Overstrand asked Mhairi to come to the library, where he told her that Sandy would be staying at Wychwood to convalesce and finish the diary. As Mhairi listened to Overstrand, Sandy was surprised to see her purse her lips and a flash of what looked like annoyance cross her face.

“Very good, Sir Robert, I will inform the other staff,” she replied when he finished.

After she left, Sandy whispered to Overstrand, “I’m not sure she likes me.” 

An invitation to the Patron Reception leaves Samantha needing a guest—and Samuel facing the question of who, beyond the girls, can be trusted with the truth.

After the unexpected turn of events with the interview, Sarah had asked why Malachite had chosen the name. Colour Sergeant Grant answered with a slightly skewed smile.

“Malachite is spiritual it means the essence of joy. I believe the stone helps to bring personal growth and has benefits when a person decides to change.”

Readers may remember a story I did a few years ago, set in a a Spanish Brothel. This one has been sitting around on my computer for a couple of years, and I thought that it was time for it to see some daylight.

Part 1 Anything to turn a Penny

I suppose it was all my fault, right from the start. I was totally lazy, but I also had expensive tastes. The fact that I liked to dress well, eat well, and live well was my downfall.