There is one thing Jason love’s more than anything in the world, esports. In fact, he wants to become the best Dota 2 player in the world. That’s why he recently joined a competitive team, only to find out later. That he joined an all girls team. And while pretending to be “Emily” online is one thing, offline this might prove to be a lot more difficult.

“You were scared of us?” Mom asked, looking heartbroken. I felt tears welling up, but I couldn’t honestly say no.

I opened the year with an end-of-the world story, and this continues the subject of earth-shattering occurrences . Like the previous story, this one was started early last year, and had to wait until the end of the year, when my muse came back from where-ever it had disappeared to.
Marianne.

Part 1

“Say cheese!” Those two words summed up a lot of my young days. My father, Allan, was an avid photographer, while my mother, Wanda, had been a model. They told me that when they met, it was a marriage made in heaven.

*Unless otherwise noted, all speaking is in French.
This is also a Christmas prequel story for Mille, who can be found here.

Paris, France
Early morning
December 24th, 1988

“Wake up! It’s Christmas morning! You just missed Santa Claus!” Mrs. Ramsey called out from the hallway.

I thought about what Sophia and Savannah had talked about last night, about their fathers and their long estrangement and how they were trying to be friends again now. Would it be like that between me and Nathan when I made contact again after I turned eighteen?

Collateral
A Short Story
By Maryanne Peters

I was on holiday on my own. I had broken up with my girlfriend holly and I decided to drive my car all the way down to Cabo – just time on the road to clear my head. I just wanted to go somewhere where the booze was cheap and forget everything. I just jumped in and drove and drove.

From the fact that this isn’t their first time, I’m guessing they’re both realizing — or at least suspecting — they’re not as purely cis as they thought.”

Chapter 11

When we went to leave, Jim, who had been very quiet, then asked us all if he could stay with us over the break. He said he could use the smallest cabin and that he had some experience with boats. The girls were happy to let him, so he hugged everyone and thanked me.

I checked in with the marine chandler that looked after the moorings, and he was surprised at my appearance. I told him that it was only for the tour that I was flying around and found out that he and his daughters were booked in for the third show.

Chapter 10

When I came up for air we kissed again and I knew that I had done something that Lesley may approve of, except there was no way I was going to tell her. We got him zipped up again and we went back onto the dance floor for a while, until I told him I had to work in the morning.

I saw Molly and Julia and went over to them to tell them I was going back to the hotel. Julia said she would be in later, but Molly said goodnight to her guy and joined me in the taxi back. On the way she pulled me to her and kissed me.

Zane has worked for four months as an android operator at Castor Analytics.
A company specializing in storing androids and doing maintenance on them.
Of all the androids Zane had transferred into, Candi has a special place in his heart.
It had been the android he went through his trial by fire with.
And by now, Zane thinks he knows everything there is to know about Candi.
But Candi has a few more tricks up her sleeve.

Smalltown Heroine
A Short Story
By Maryanne Peters

I was always a small-town kid. I was brought up by loving parents in a small town in Alabama. We had not much money, but what we had was enough. I played with local kids, just like any other boy. It was just that I was a little different.

I say ‘a little different’, because it was never a major thing for me. I liked to think of Crystal as an imaginary friend, like maybe every other only child has. It was just that she was a girl, and she was part of me.

Have you ever looked over the edge of your life and pressed the rewind button in your brain? Just looking back at the things you might have done, could have accomplished, or conquered like a battalion on a literal battlefield of life? I’m pretty sure the general in charge of my life was either asleep at the morning briefing or he was annihilated and no one informed me as I ran up and over the hill into the line of fire.

Slowly, Tiberius is getting the hang of things.
One year ago he joined the adventurers Conway, Debtar, and Sinea as a freshly baked mage.
His new friends had been generous with their advice and friendship.
But when the topic of Shroom Dungeon is brought up, they are unusually mum about any details.
They agree on one thing quickly. It was time for Tiberius to delve into Shroom Dungeon.
A dungeon yet undefeated. A place to lose yourself.

Chapter 7

When we arrived at the hotel, we were quickly given our pass cards and shown to our rooms. Our whole planeload was in a single wing that had hotel security on the doors, the receptionist having told me that they had detected intruders already.

“I said they should venn into amphibious forms and swim out to see the Outer Banks, but Mom just smiled and said maybe.”

Ivan is doomed.
The draft has come and the largest war the world has ever seen looms in his future.

But not all hope is lost.
On his last night in town, he meets Norene. One of an ancient folk called the Fae Touched.
She offers him an escape, but with severe consequences.
He might lose himself.
For decades, if not centuries.

Allie - The teenage years of Alexander Horten

March 20-26, 2016

Kai needs desperately a break from his normal life.
As his old friend Björn offers a place to stay, Kai jumps on the opportunity.
But not long after arriving, tales of folklore make the rounds.
Are they real or is Björn up to his old shenanigans and pulling a prank on him?

Slowly, Tiberius is getting the hang of things.
One year ago he joined the adventurers Conway, Debtar, and Sinea as a freshly baked mage.
His new friends had been generous with their advice and friendship.
But when the topic of Shroom Dungeon is brought up, they are unusually mum about any details.
They agree on one thing quickly. It was time for Tiberius to delve into Shroom Dungeon.
A dungeon yet undefeated. A place to lose yourself.

It's tempting to blame it all on my mother; haul out some psychobabble about how I was raised and childhood trauma and such. Tempting, sure, but anyone who has stayed awake through biology class knows that it's really all due to my father. Four sisters, one lone male - me. It's a biological fact that the male determines a child's sex at conception, but you try growing up as the last child with four sisters.

On and off that day, I thought about that Missing Child poster I’d seen and what Mom and Dad were feeling and thinking about all this. Did they know I was trans by now? They almost certainly knew I’d venned into a girl body at least once; they’d have heard from Tim’s parents by now, even if the police hadn’t told them about the details of their investigation and what they’d learned from Meredith and Sophia.