Editing/Writing Commissions Are OPEN! (Art Trades, Too!)

Editing/Writing Commissions are OPEN! (Art trades, too!)

So, this is something that I've been meaning to try for a while now, but honestly I've been a little self-conscious about my own qualifications and to be frank I'm not sure there's a market for the sorts of services I could offer. However, I have some truly stupendous friends who have offered a lot of encouragement, so I decided I would at least try my hand! As hundreds of doomed movie and video game characters have said, "What's the worst that could happen?" So what I'm proposing here is opening commissions! I have several types of work I would be willing to undertake. The details can be found below. These will all be on a name your price / negotiable price basis! That's right, you tell me what you think is fair for the project your considering! Keep in mind, though, that this does not necessarily mean I will accept the price you quote me. $5 or $10 to edit a 20 page manuscript is not really a fair price. I am a college student with multiple campus jobs, so I have to put a value on my own time. However, if you are, like me, really strapped for cash, I'm sure we can work something out! We can always set up a payment plan, or substitute payments for art trades, etc! I really do want to help you out! Editing Commissions I've always had a special passion for proofreading and editing, and I would love to help some aspiring authors, self-conscious fanfiction writers, or struggling college students work on their own writing,

My editing can focus on:

Grammar, spelling, mechanics, etc.

Diction, sentence structure, flow

Overall coherence, plot line, dialogue, formatting, and much much more!

Feel free to let me know if there is one of these that you are particularly interested in, or if you need help in all of them. How comprehensive I get may depend on the price of the commission (if I get bogged down, which I doubt I will). Especially when it comes to grammar, I can work with any level of depth. In the past some people have only wanted me to fix errors (though I will always highlight where something has been changes) while others have wanted a detailed explanation of what I think should be changed and why. I can work with just about anything! For these commissions I will take on any type of work! Essays? Novel-in-the-making? Short fics? Anything! I will also take on long-term assignments, if you're looking for someone who will stick with you through the process of writing a longer piece. Credentials

I have accepted editing commissions before on other websites, and past clients have seemed happy with my services. (I even got tipped!)

I worked as an English writing tutor for a year while I was abroad in Japan, helping Japanese students with widely varying levels of fluency with school- and work- related assignments. (If you happen to be a non-native English speaker, please don't be afraid to contact me! I love working with language-learners!)

I tutor through my university.

I have often done work for family and friends on both schoolwork, work-related papers, and personal stories. I have also helped my dyslexic younger brother to hone his writing abilities.

I should be clear that I do NOT have an English degree, just a passion for writing and grammar. I HAVE taken plenty of Advanced Placement English courses in high school and college. If you have a question I can't answer, I have resources readily available to me, just in case!

Don't use the stories I have posted on this website for indication of my editing ability! I have a really terrible habit of not editing my own work or, if I do, half-assing it. Your commission will receive MUCH more time and care than my own works, rest assured!

Writing Commissions I have a feeling that these will be in lower demand, but I thought I would include them anyway! I will, however, impose a caveat that will alienate a lot of potential buyers. I will not write explicit sexual scenes except maybe for extremely persuasive amounts of money and a confidentiality agreement. I am truly sorry, but it's not something that I feel comfortable doing at this time. As one of my life goals is to teach English in a foreign country for several years, nsfw writing is not something that I need turning up during a job interview. Besides, you probably don't want to read that from me anyways. Other things I will not do include works that endorse discrimination, hatred, etc. Also please note that, if your request does not fall under the above but really give me the heebie-jeebies, I reserve the right to refuse your commission. What I will do?

Stories of any length!

Stories featuring your original characters! (If you're one of the weirdos who actually follows this blog you can even request cameos, etc. from some of my characters).

Romance! Action! Crime! Any genre, really!

Insert anything else you can think of here!

If you contact me about a fic commission please be sure to specify what it is you would like me to do and how long you would like the fic to be. Length may depend on compensation! Your fic may end up slightly longer or slightly shorter than you request, because stories have a nasty habit of not fitting well into page boundaries. You may request revisions within reason.

I may ask to display the work I have done from you on my tumblr account! If this makes you uncomfortable you can certainly refuse. However, please do not try to pass my work off as your own. If you would like to share it on your own site or tumblr please credit/link to me! Other? Something else writer-ly or creative you would like done? Just ask! I'm very flexible! I am more than happy to produce other forms of writing (poems or songs, for example). I am also happy to work as a consultant, co-writer, or idea-generator on any projects! I am also happy to create characters for your use, as long as you credit me! If you have any questions or prospective job offers please ask!

All commissions will be payed through paypal!

Trades Wanting a commission, but short on monetary funds? No problem! I happily endorse the barter system! I will happily trade my services for art, crafts, etc. I might consider fic trades, but as I don't have any ideas in mind for a fic I would want written, we may have to talk it out. Please feel free to ask, though! A great deal of the money that I make through these commissions goes back into the artistic community! When I have the extra money I love to commission artists and craftspeople! So if you'd like to cut out the middle man we can most definitely work out an arrangement. I can even provide a list of pieces I might be looking for, if anyone is interested.

Contact

You can always contact me through this tumblr account! A more convenient way of contact might be my recreational email:  siamesexneko@hotmail.com  Don't judge me, okay. I made that account in middle school. So, if anyone is still with me all the way down here, thank you for reading! You are a shining beacon of light in my dull, dull life! I hope to hear from some of you lovely folks soon!

I was tagged by @allons-y-merlin for this, so I figured I'd give it a try. Get some more personal info out on the old blog here! Looked fun!

TAG GAME: CHARACTERS WHO SHARE THE SAME PERSONALITY TYPE AS YOU

You can take this test HERE.

Rules: Find out what characters share the same personality type as you HERE and list the characters that you find relevant below. Then tag five friends and let them know you tagged them!

My personality type is: ISTP (Which is weird because on the C. Jung & Briggs Myers typology test I've always been INTJ, but I won't complain!)

You are one of the Explorers - a bold and freedom-loving individual who enjoys pushing the limits and exploring the unknown. You are known for your quiet nature, technical skills and ability to improvise

The characters (that I know) that share my personality type are:

Annie Leonhart and Levi from Attack on Titan

Toph Bei Fong from Avatar: The Last Airbender

Booker DeWitt from BioShock Infinite

Jason Bourne from The Bourne Series

James Bond from Casino Royale

J.J. from Criminal Minds

Dexter Morgan from Dexter

The Ninth Doctor from Doctor Who

Kristoff from Frozen

Edward Elric from Fullmetal Alchemist

Maximus from Gladiator

Jordan Baker from The Great Gatsby

Gamora and Drax the Destroyer from Guardians of the Galaxy

Viktor Krum from Harry Potter

Robin Scherbatsky from How I Met Your Mother

Cobb from Inception

Parker from Leverage

The eponymous Indiana Jones

Aragorn from Lord of the Rings

Natasha Romanoff (Black Widow) from the Marvel Cinematic Universe

Samus Aran from Metroid

Jay and Lily from Modern Family

Roronoa Zoro from One Piece

Stacker Pentecost from Pacific Rim

Tinker Bell from Peter Pan

Agent P (Perry the Platypus) and Ferb Fletcher from Phineas and Ferb

Jack Frost from Rise of the Guardians

The Janitor from Scrubs

Sherlock Holmes from Sherlock

The eponymous Sherlock Holmes

The eponymous Shrek

Arya Stark from A Song of Ice and Fire

The eponymous Sly Cooper

Hikaru Sulu from Star Trek: The Original Series

Han Solo from Star Wars

Raphael from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

Rorschach/Walter Kovacs from Watchmen

Wolverine from X-Men

Hiei from YuYu Hakusho

Uhhh... I don't really have any followers? So I guess if you follow me and see this, it's pretty fun? I guess kozzdraw if she has time? Could be interesting!

For any of you that follow me and are actually real people, not spam blogs, I'm sorry I haven't been posting much content lately! Between final exams and work and Christmas stuff I've been pretty busy. Also I'm a lazy ass but that's a story for another time, Anyways I just wanted to let you know that there is more stuff coming! What you can expect to see sometime in the near future:

The second chapter of Toppling Towers, my art trade with Kozz

A fic requested by donutbitches

A fic requested by lunavakarian

Sorry it's been such a long wait guys! I'm bad people! Other stuff coming soon

An actual page with commission information

Ditto for Art Trade Info

Maybe one for requests

A queue page where I'll make a list of people I owe fics or other assorted things so everyone can be assured that I did get their message(s) and can see where they are on the waiting/priority list.

Thanks for tuning in! You can now return to your regularly scheduled tumbling. 

The Andromeda Initiative

[Author's Note: This is just an old blurb I thought I'd leave here for the night. It was actually the beginning of a role play that never took off, and I couldn't bring myself to abandon the concept entirely. So here it is, submitted for your approval!]

A quiet exhale punctured the silence, released in a puff of steam as warm breath met frigid air. It was always so cold aboard infected vessels. Space was a cold place, and the diseased usually destroyed the controls monitoring the heating system. No one could say what purpose such an action served, but many of the hordes’ actions were inscrutable. The sub-humans had been known to rip circuitry from the ship’s innards, to dismantle any and all technology aboard. They were irrational, feral, sapped of all rationality. Once the nano-virus took hold they became like sewage rats, scurrying from one dark corner to the next, springing viciously at any perceived threat. Their frontal lobes had ceased function, along with all other regions of the brain that did not control basic drives. There was no code of morals among the polluted beings, though somehow they managed to maintain nests. When food was not readily available, however, the entire pack would turn on its weakest member and sacrifice it in an attempt to satiate its growing hunger. It was gut-wrenching to see for the first time.

Luckily this was not Marlene’s first time. She was a veteran as far as sanitation was concerned. That was the politically correct term for the cleansing and destroying of an affected ship: sanitation. It made the whole process seem blithely simple, clean, efficient. Any freelancing agent with experience in the field, however, knew that to be a gross embellishment. When one of them – an artificial life form – turned, it was the beginning of a grand debacle. The nanobots circulating through its bloodstream would suddenly become agitated, releasing adrenaline and a slew of other chemicals into its brain. After that… well, the politest way Marlene could think to put it was that the Synthesete, as the beings were called, completely lost its freaking mind. The nanobots would start eating it away from the inside out, opening wounds through which to seep out with the blood. The Synthesete itself would then launch itself at anything within striking distance and attempt to do as much damage as it possibly could, creating gashes in the victim through which the nanobots could enter a new host. Then chaos ensued. It wasn’t long before the entire ship became an empty shell filled with snarling beasts. Sometimes the entire process took a week, sometimes a single day. It all depended on the Synesthete. They had all been created for specific purposes, with different DNA, so she supposed it made sense. It mattered very little, though. Once the process began there was no way to stop it. Killing the afflicted Syn didn’t seem to help. In fact, it only exacerbated the condition, as the nanobots would flood out of their old host. One of the first actions of the afflicted was to destroy the communication equipment to isolate the ship. The only hope of survival was to eject from the ship or to somehow fend off the attackers until a Sanitation Officer arrived. Chances of success for either were slim.

At least the hordes left the oxygen systems intact. Apparently they had enough sense to know that without airflow into the ship they would suffocate. It allowed Marlene to work without a cumbersome facemask that might obscure her vision. The dark hood of her suit remained draped over her head, however, as it was lit from the inside and allowed her to observe her surroundings. She tried to ignore the sound of her boots as they struck the steel bridge arching over the ship’s dark engine room. The quietness was unnerving – the boots weren’t that heavy to begin with. The entire suit was light and snug fitting. But provided ample protection as an incredibly smooth metal mesh ran through the fabric. Technology really could work wonders, the Synesthete epidemic aside. She squinted with her one good eye in an attempt to detect movement along the path. The other eye, or rather eye socket, was covered by a sleek black patch, punctuated by five red lenses that formed a cross. The missing eye was hardly her only mark of wear and tear – her entire right side, from face to thigh, was covered in long scars, relics from the past. They didn’t usually carry much pain with them, so she really had no cause to mind them.

Just as she thought she could make it to the ship’s control room uninterrupted she saw a flash in front of her. It was a person, or a former person, barreling at her with such speed that it blew her smokey hair back. With a movement so deft and precise that it barely required her attention, her hand shot to the gun in her holster, pulled it out, and fired. A brief flash of light splattered eerie shadows on the darkened walls. Energy pistols – they were delightfully efficient. Their short barrels were designed to catch and concentrate energy into a form so dense it could rip through virtually anything, including the sagging flesh of a Synesthete’s victim.

All was quiet. It appeared the creature had strayed from its flock. She let the weapon fall back into its place on her belt. With her left foot she nudged the slumped form of her target and it toppled over. They were always a gruesome sight; their hair and nails had fallen out, the bones of their fingers had been pushed through the skin and sharpened to form claws, their flesh had faded to a dirty mix of brown and gray and hung limply from their muscles. As decrepit as they might have seemed, though, they were quick and they were strong. The nanobots helped with that. Marlene gave a disgusted grunt and weaved around the corpse. In her mind she ran through her checklist. She had already swept most of the ship, and now only the cockpit remained. Sometimes she wondered why they bothered infiltrating the ship at all. They were going to blow it up anyway. But the military wanted to sweep for survivors and it wanted to export any information off of the ship before destroying it. It wasn’t her job to question procedure; she was getting paid to carry it out.

Another rustle of movement. Four more shots. Two went wide; the other two dropped two more bodies. They landed on either side of her as she pushed open the door to the Control Room. Hopefully there would be no unpleasant surprises. She was fairly certain she had taken out their main hive, which they had situated in the barracks. As long as they infected hadn’t separated into two factions only stragglers should remain. True to her expectations, nothing flew out at her through the open doors. Using the light from her hood as a guide she strode inside, breezing past empty chairs and destroyed monitors that spit angry bursts of electricity at her as she past. It took her a moment to differentiate the main control panel from the other mangled surfaces in the room. While one hand snagged another implement from her utility belt – a small, square device resembling a circuit board – the other brushed away severed cords and splayed metal casings until her nimble fingers found a slim rectangular insert. Good, the disk drive was still intact. Sometimes, if the panel was completely obliterated, she would have to spend nearly an hour rummaging through machinery to find the modern version of a little black box. Quickly she jammed her disk into the driver and waited, foot tapping anxiously. She really wanted to get out of dodge.

Then she heard it, a barely audible intake of breath, and she froze. “Dammit all!” She grabbed her pistol once more and stood poised, just waiting for a shot.

Her actions must have caused some surprise in the target, because there was a considerable din, though it was hard to locate its origin. Finally, something moved: a panel popped off the side of one of the stations. She might have fired if it were not for the terrified squeak, “Don’t shoot! Please!”

“What the hell?”

Not willing to relinquish her position of power, Marlene kept her gun trained on the spot. From the opening a hunched figure crawled out. As it straightened itself, Marlene’s brow furrowed. It was… a girl? A slip of a creature, several inches shorter than the Agent, with a short mess of inky black hair and big, pale eyes. She was quivering, pupils darting nervously around the room.

“Son of a…”  Marlene murmured, bemused. Still she kept her shot. “Who are you? What happened?”

“P-please! Don’t shoot! I didn’t do anything!” The girl replied in a frenzied rush of words. “I.. I.. They were….!” She seemed at a loss for words and her whole body shuddered.

“Christ. Calm down, kid!” Marlene grunted, lowering her weapon slightly. “Tell me what happened, and why you’re not out of your head like everyone else on this godforsaken wreck.”

Her words, though crass, seemed to comfort young woman. “Well… I… We were stationed here as a research facility. We were going about our data collecting just like always. And then… there was this other ship just kind of drifting towards us and we received an S.O.S… We tried to radio back but it seemed like… like whoever was on the ship had shut down their communication receivers. We couldn’t figure out why they would do that. So… so, the Captain sent a recovery pod with a few men in it to see what was going on. When they boarded the ship, though, we lost radio communication. A couple of minutes went by, and then the pod started coming back, but we still couldn’t get a response. So we opened the gates and then…” Her body trembled violently again and Marlene almost feared she was having some sort of spasm. “Those things they just came out! There was screaming and running and blood and it was all just a blur. I didn’t know what to do! I… One of my duties was to help with engineering on the ship and I suddenly remembered that there was a tiny compartment space in one of the stations that was used for storing logs so… so as they started coming in I just opened it and hid. There was so much noise and… and then nothing but I didn’t want to leave.” By the time her mouth had stopped moving tears were welling in her eyes. “I thought no one was going to come for me!” With that she broke down into full sobs.

“Well great Jehova.” Marlene responded simply. It had been a long time since she had found a survivor. “Just… Just stop crying, okay? I’ve finished my sweep and I’m going to get you out of here.” She reached out her hand to the other girl but, just as their fingers touched she drew back and pressed her pistol into her forehead. She had seen something, just a tiny trace of neon blue running under the ashen skin of her hand. “You’re one of them!” She spat accusingly, trigger finger itching. “You’re a Synthesete!”

“No!” The girl shrieked, collapsing to her knees. “No! I mean… yes! Yes I am! But they’re not in me, I swear! I’m not infected! Please! Please! Please…” Her words faded into a quiet whimper as she rocked back and forth, tears splashing from her eyes onto the cold metal floor.

Marlene was not inclined to believe the creature, but her instructions replayed in the back of her head. “If possible, bring any live subjects back to the base ship for inspection.”

Advancing rather menacingly, Marlene jammed her gun into the other woman’s forehead again. “You’re saying that you didn’t cause this. That the infection spread from another ship?!”

“YES!” Wept the girl, having lost all control of her emotions. She sat crouched there, arms between her knees keeping her from crumpling to the floor all together.

After a brief suspicious pause, filled with the sniffling of the Synthesete, Marlene retracted her arm. “Alright. Get up. We’re leaving.” Not willing to wait for her new charge to compose herself, Marlene yanked the smaller girl to her feet. “Walk.”

Wiping the sleeve of her suit under her eyes to dry her tears, the girl blathered, “Y-You believe…?”

“Yes. Now hurry up. We’ve got to hurry before any more of those freaks decide to investigate.” Producing yet another object from her belt, a small vial filled with glowing orange liquid. With a swift, forceful motion she dashed it against the corner of a station. A spindly crack formed at the site of the impact and the cylinder’s content began to ooze out. “Take this. Don’t touch the stuff leaking out, just stick it somewhere with lots of wires, --.” She paused, “What’s your name? The short version, not the entire serial number.

Rather reluctantly, the girl plucked up the vial between her thumb and forefinger. “Andromeda.” She responded shortly before scuttling off to insert the item in a deep gash in the control panel.

“Like the galaxy. Nice.” Marlene mused with a lopsided half-smile. As soon as Andromeda returned, however, the expression morphed into a stern one. She seized her by the wrist and hissed, “We’re going to want to run. Now!”

To her great relief, Andromeda didn’t question the order, merely kicked up her heels in a sprint as Marlene guided them back over the engine room, her free hand seeking out her pistol. Their feet pummeled the metallic paneling as they flew through the ship. If there were any of the grotesque humanoids lurking about them, neither of the women noticed. Andromeda failed to notice much else besides her human heart pumping in her chest cavity as they ran. That pulse and a lick of heat on the back of her neck. Against her better judgment, she swung her head around to look back, only to see the path behind them engulfed in an expanding inferno.

“You’re good to go outside without any protection, right?” Marlene’s breathless words jarred Andromeda’s attention from the horrifying crackle of the flames as they advanced towards them.

“Yes.”

“Good!” Shoving her pistol back in its holster to free a hand, Marlene’s gloved finger reached up and pressed the center lens on the patch over her eye. A blue screen appeared projected in front of them as they ran, the other four lenses starting to whir as they began rapidly circling the center. “Marlene! Ready for extraction! One guest!” By that time they had reached the gates that separated the ship’s interior from the cold void outside. Seemingly of its own volition, Marlene’s eye-patch began to squirm, its hems coming loose and its edges expanding over her face until the black mass covered her skin with a shell reminiscent of a gas-mask. She released her companion’s hand for a brief moment to pry open the doors before grabbing her once more. “Hold on, Andy!”

And then she leaped, and they were both suspended in the dark sky. But still too close to evade the explosion. Registering this fact, Andromeda began to panic, to squirm under Marlene’s grip. “We’re too close!” She screamed, writhing in an attempt to propel herself further from the vessel. “Stop it.” Marlene instructed calmly. The Synthesete reared her head in opposition to this instruction, but before she could continue her escape attempts a great gush of warm air overtook them and their surroundings were bathed in a cool blue light. They were floating upward, being drawn into an elephantine freighter that was stalled above them.

Bah Humbug

as they plummeted. Their brethren already frosted the boughs of the surrounding trees and padded the hard ground. One adventurous crystal alighted squarely on Manglev’s snout and the feline had to cross his luminescent blue eyes to watch it enact its tragically short lifespan. Theological implications abound. Had he been in a philosophical mood he could have spent hours contemplating the lessons in life and passion encompassed within that single, melting snowflake. But, at present, he felt that his thoughts would only muddle the serenity of the evening. As it was, the portrait nature had painted around him was utterly pristine. The new-fallen snow was yet unmarred by the contact of sentient beasts and it seemed to cast the scene in a spectral blue light. A chilled breeze tickled his heavy winter coat, leaving him feeling clean and refreshed. There was perfection in the crispness, the solitude.

The only interruption in the quietude was the gaudy, colorful tent situated behind him. It broke the peace with its boastful existence. Over the course of the past hour the raucous festivities barely contained within had died to a muffled murmur of yuletide clichés. Inside, the Christmas celebration was continuing its decrescendo. Hyson had already passed out, inebriated, in a large bowl of punch, his limbs dangling over the edge and a dark stain slowly creeping up the seat of his flamboyant purple suit-pants. The festive medley that had previously risen from the hand-crafted mandolins and flutes of Brune and Myriot had died to a series of dulcet twangs as the duo attempted to teach Eureka how to coax out a melody. All the while the glowing young lass glanced furtively over her shoulder at the mop of pink hair that was Brynn. The youth had managed to both amuse and befuddle himself by using strings of vibrant lights to transform into a human Christmas tree. Meanwhile, Nox had reduced himself to wowing Creature and a crowd of exhausted and punch-drunk stage griffins with elementary card tricks, unaware that someone had draped an intricate array of tinsel over his curling horns. Even Besclin was in attendance. Someone had taken the time to wheel her tank into the tent and dump a bucket of green food-dye into the water so that she could join in the merriment. With the night drawing to a close, she floated under a piece of mistletoe that had been tacked to the outside of the aquarium, her sharp teeth glinting between the lips that twisted to form her devious smile.           It was only the sound of crunching footsteps, however, that broke through Manglev’s absorption and into his conscious mind. When he looked up he found that he was no longer unaccompanied. Standing beside him, hands in the pockets of a lavish red and white coat, was Marlene. She was dressed for the season with thick, fur-lined boots, slim black tights with sleigh bells sewed up the side, and a Santa Clause hat sitting atop her dark hair. Her ensemble was completed by a signature half-grin that dimpled her scarred cheek.           “What are you doing sitting out here like a furry green bump on a log?” She questioned with a raspy chuckle.           His own chest cavity rumbled with a quiet laughter. “It may look like I’m just sitting here,” He replied cheekily, “But on a cellular level I’m actually quite busy.”          Marlene fixed him with a disapproving stare for a long moment, just long enough for him to run through the sentence in his head to make sure nothing offensive had spilled past his lips, before breaking out into a smile. “Alright, I’ll give you that one.” She shrugged. “That’s not what I meant, though. Weren’t you having fun inside?”                                                                                    It was Manglev’s turn to shrug his hunched shoulders, though the awkward motion looked more like a shudder. “I was inside for a while. I just needed some air,” He defended.             Before he had finished his last syllable he felt the toe of her boot nudging his hind leg “Don’t sound so grumpy!” She instructed.                                                                                            “I’m always grumpy.             “It’s Christmas!”             “So?”             At this Marlene appeared generally concerned. Her thick lower lip protruded in a pout and she crossed both arms over her chest. Her feet spread apart slightly in a stubborn stance. “Don’t tell me you don’t like Christmas?!”             Manglev just shook his head and grunted noncommittally. Marlene continued to fix him with an intrusive stare, as if meaning to drag an answer out of him with her penetrating eyes. After several seconds he realized that he was not going to escape her line of indignant inquiry. “It’s not that I don’t like Christmas. I just don’t really see the point.”             “It’s a reason to celebrate!” Marlene suggested.             “But that’s all it is.” Manglev explained with a sigh. “I mean, doesn’t it seem a little silly? Why are we even celebrating? Because of convention? Everyone gets drunk and decorates because they’re used to it. I guess because I didn’t grow up with Christmas every year it all just kind of escapes me. I don’t really see why everyone gets so fussed about it.”             Marlene, ever obstinate, was quick with her rebuttal. “That’s not all Christmas is about.”             “Then what is it about? Religion? Jesus was probably born in the Spring, you know. The Christian church just adopted the Pagan celebration of the winter solstice to help convert new members. So, really, there’s no religious significance. Besides, there are plenty of people out there that don’t even believe in Jesus.”             Marlene just smiled amusedly and shook her head. “I don’t think you really understand what Christmas is about, Manglev,” She mused, glancing fondly down at her friend. “Christmas isn’t about the tinsel or the carols or the eggnog. Sure, that’s all part of it, but not the real meaning behind it. Hell, Christmas isn’t really even about Jesus, in my opinion. The real Christmas has to do with what all of those things stand for: love, generosity, good will. Maybe it’s not something that everybody celebrates, but those are qualities that everyone values, in their own way. Christmas is just an excuse to bring out those traits in people. It’s a chance to break away from the humdrum of everyday life to spend time with friends and family and generally be in good cheer. So cheer up, fuzz-butt!”             Manglev’s ears swiveled in her direction as he listened intently to her speech. The words themselves didn’t strike much of a chord with him, but the sheer conviction with which she spoke them was enough to melt his harried expression into a soft smile. From the whimsy in her tone to the warm embers glowing behind her eyes, her sincerity was evident. She truly believed in the inherent joy of Christmas. The characteristically wry and cynical woman had opened her heart, at least for a night, to the possibility of an innate kindness in her fellow creatures. Even if he couldn’t reconcile himself to be in complete agreement, Manglev couldn’t ruin that for her.             “All right, all right, I suppose you’re right.” He purred, craning his neck to nuzzle her hand expectantly. Marlene in response and began to scratch the skin of his scalp.”             “Good! So no more gloominess for the night!” The gaze she fixed him with was a knowing one. She was well aware that he had changed his approach for her alone, and she was willing to accept that. It would never be that simple to convince him of anything. After all, he was quite capable of being just as shrewd and stubborn as she. But an attempt at cheer from him was all that she required for the evening. Coming from him, she knew, that was a great gift.             “So....” Manglev began after a short stretch of silence, “Should we go back inside?”             Marlene gave his head an appreciative pat. “Nah, the party’s almost over, anyways. I don’t particularly want to be there when they try to fish Hyson out of the punch bowl. Let’s just go.”             The hulking green male snorted with laughter rat the mental image. “Whatever you say,” he agreed amicably. With a grunt he heaved himself to his feet. He could almost hear his bones creak as he did so and it made him feel like an un-oiled piece of machinery. While Marlene scuffed her boots against the ground, making a jingling sound as each leg moved, Manglev did his best to shake the thin dusting of snow from his thick, mossy coat. Once he was satisfied his friend replaced her slender hand atop his head and the two tromped away from the clearing, girl and beast.             As they walked, Marlene prodded at him good naturedly. “So I guess Mr. Scrooge doesn’t like Christmas presents either.” She teased.             Manglev chortled. “Why do we even give gifts on Christmas? Do we really need to buy each other’s affection?” He questioned, more for sport than any real inclination against the tradition of gift-giving.             “Fine! I won’t give you yours!”             “I didn’t say I didn’t want it!” Manglev protested, looking upwards at her with sudden disheartenment.             “I don’t know,” Marlene pondered with hyperbolized hesitation. “Have you been good? Only good girls, boys, and kitties get gifts.”             He screwed up his face into a wrinkled expression of distaste. “Define ‘good’.”             Marlene scrutinized him for a second as if taking an inventory of his past deeds. As quickly as the expression had appeared, however, it was replaced by an impish grin. A soft accented hiss reverberated between the back of her palate and her tongue. “You’re lucky I’ve got a soft spot for you.” She said, tilting her head affectionately towards him.            For once in his life, Manglev did feel very lucky.

           They spent the rest of the walk in silence, the only sound the crunching of their feet as they marched in harmonious time with one another. It was not long before they drew upon another tent, this one minimalistic compared to the vibrantly tacky enclosure they had just abandoned. It had thick burlap flaps protecting its innards from the winter chill, and smoke was billowing out a hole that had been cut into the roof. The makeshift shelter glowed and pulsed from within, lending it almost the appearance of a living being. The nearer they drew the more inviting the simple tent became to Manglev. By the time Marlene lifted one of the heavy flaps back for him he was craving the warmth and comfort of the indoors. Instantly he was bathed in the heat from the fire they had left crackling upon their departure. Extending his paws he stretched himself out in the typical feline manner, his abdomen extending like a spring uncoiling. A yawn rippled across his face and he opened his maw wide, exposing his yellowed teeth and insect-like mandibles. Marlene chuckled as she watched him, moving to stoke the fire with an iron rod.             When he had settled himself into a comfortable sitting position he cleared his throat. “So, what’s this about a present I was hearing?” He poked curiously.             “That’s what you’re after now, is it? Alright, close your eyes!” Manglev did as he was told, squeezing his eyelids tightly together. Of course, the sense of sight was no great loss for one as acutely gifted as he. He could hear her rummaging through some of her old satchels, which had been tossed casually in the corner. Her footsteps approached him once more and one of her knees touched the ground. He was a bit surprised to feel her hands around his thick neck, but he didn’t allow himself to sneak a glance until he heard, “Alright, go ahead!”             His immediate instinct was to peer down at where her delicate hands had been fidgeting. There he noticed a simple black leather band fastened, with only a decorative bronze ring for ornamentation. “A... collar?” He asked curiously.             “Don’t think of it as a collar!” Marlene proclaimed enthusiastically. “Think of it as a fashion statement!” Evidently she caught the skepticism that fluttered through his eyes, for she was quick to add, “And don’t think that I got it because I just think of you as some sort of pet or anything like that. That’s not what I meant by it. Well, I did think it would be cute, but that’s beside the point. I mean, people usually don’t put collars on animals to claim ownership or anything. They do it so that if the animal gets lost people know that that animal belongs somewhere, that it has a home, and so that people can find a way to take it back to its home. People like you and me... well, we have a hard time finding places we belong. So I just thought... you know... it would be nice to let you know that I think you belong somewhere. Right here, with me. We’re friends, even family. So, I thought that it was something that, if you ever felt lost or alone, you could look at to remember that you’ve got a home.”             Though the words came in a flurry, Manglev smiled in understanding. He gave her a light, tender head-butt as means of informing her that she didn’t need to defend her decision to him. “Thank you, Marlene. I really do appreciate the sentiment. And, for the record, I think this is where you belong too.”             There was relief in Marlene’s laughter as she drew to her feet, dusting herself off. “I’m glad. Will you at least wear it once in a while?”             “Of course,” Manglev rumbled. As he spoke he rose as well, dragging himself in front of the fire and flopping on his side there. “Though, now I feel guilty that I didn’t bring you anything.”             “That’s odd,” His companion muttered thoughtfully. “I could have sworn you got me a big, fluffy, feline pillow!”             “A wha-?! Oomph!” He was interrupted mid-syllable as Marlene dropped herself nearly on top of him, causing him to emit a sound like a deflating hot-air balloon. Before he could protest she had cuddled next to him, her figure lying along his, head resting on one of his shoulders. He chuckled in resignation and situated himself to be more accommodating. Once again, the pair was blanketed in silence. The silence that passed between Marlene and Manglev, however, was never an awkward one. There was no grappling for some new topic, no striving to fill the void. Rather, their silence was one that suggested nothing needed be said between them. They were in complete harmony, at peace with one another. The soothing silence that passed between them was one that said more than petty chatter ever could. There was something to be said for the bond of those that could be comfortable together when the novelty of speech was stripped away. For a long while they simply watched the flames from their fire curl about the air in a frantic dance. Their attentiveness was such that one might have imagined they could see whole other worlds painted by the small blaze. Every so often one of them would shift to enhance their comfort, but otherwise all was still. As was wont to happen, soon sleepiness enveloped the two. Manglev felt his eyelids grow heavy and his muscles uncoil. Soon dreams would hold him as their captive.              “Hey Marlene?” He muttered through the haze of his own exhaustion.             “Yes Manglev?” She answered with equal fatigue in her raspy voice.             “Merry Christmas.”             Her lips curled upwards and he felt her nuzzle deeper into his pelt. “Oh, Bah Humbug.”

So, I'm kind of new here.

Hello there! It's a pleasure to meet whoever in the great wide world of the internet happens to be reading this. You can call me Auggie! I'm slightly (ha!) behind the times, so this is my humble new tumblr. I created it as a dumping ground for some of my ramblings and writings. Possibly reblogs too. I'm not really sure yet. In any case, I hope I'll have a little fun! I'll start out by posting some old short stories, I think.