Category: romance

New Pai, 7

We all learn a little more about 2.0. And, yes, I deliberately side-stepped the issue of the coming war in favor of touching on a potentially prurient detail. Theologically, I think Graf married Pai’s soul, those nearly four years ago, so her request might be unnecessary. Might. The physical consumation of a marriage has always played a significant role in post-Roman, Western European law. It’s similar to, back in one of the last chapters of Worlds Without End where Henge’s new body is conditionally re-baptized; why take chances?

I find it very odd that resistance to rule by demis or Machines would have some humans coalesce around the Fusions, who themselves are demis. Either that is not common knowledge or the “wings and halo” imagery lends itself to religious fervor. There is, of course, no one who could stop Reina from taking any measures she wants, and I’ll have to check my timeline to see if Aurie’s father is still alive. If not, her mother Henge would be the sole restraint on her.

A few more days of peace, then I think I’ll light this world on fire.

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New Pai, 2

Wife woke up at 0011 complaining of aches and pains. She also had – and has – a fever. One of our weekend pharmacists says influenza is endemic in central Ohio right now. Boomers panic and go to the hospitals, so now there are no beds. It’s the fookin’ flu. Yes, it sucks, but maybe it’s your time, Mr. and Mrs. “We’re spending our childrens’ inheritance.”

So, I’ll post what I have as I’m not sure when I’ll be back to the keyboard. With this RealLife illness, I also mention how Graf was sick early in their mission.

With Mindy’s Intended there, I now have a fresh set of eyes to look at what is going on. He’s obviously not comfortable with the Graf/Pai/Alix situation, but is quickly distracted in hearing of Fusions. And, Graf and Min’s father experiences a little healing, thinking what future might be for his grandchildren.

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PAI, 27

Following hard on Pai’s reveal of her mother, Luce backpedals as quickly as she can. The goddess talk is also quickly drawn down. After running the Russian Empire for just over a hundred years, there’s no way a demi or Fusion could not know who Reina is.

But obviously having an inflated opinion of herself, Luce goes right back to poke the bear by flirting with Graf. We close with yet another mic drop about my main character.

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PAI, 24

Going into the weekend, more snow expected here. My little centurion sent me a pic of her in a tank top with a parrot on her shoulder. Effing kids.

This closes out the San Diego arc. I don’t anticipate Redding to be all that long. I would like these kids to have some time off, so I guess they’ll have to get Alix and the children from Wilmington to his family home. I’ve a few ideas about that, too. Nothing is static. After a kind of family get-together, the next main part of the MS will open with Pai’s new android body. Upgrades!

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PGA, 9

After a few scenes from Pai’s POV, we’re back to Graf. I’m not entirely happy with the timing and pace of this segment and will likely revise the heck out of it prior to sending to my copyeditor. Still, raws are raws, to get something down “on paper” to keep the story moving.

I take this time to educate a potential reader about Ildi, for anyone who has not read about here in my two short story collections. She sure takes after her mother when it comes to fecundity. I suppose I’ll have to know more about her family before all of this is over; I cannot really imagine her kids liking the idea of their mom being worshiped as a goddess.

Graf has never heard of a strip club. That’s hilarious.

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PGA, 4

I guess you could call this segment “bullet dodged.” As the writer, I am trying very hard to make sure that Alix does not come across, as she says, just as a breeder. It is very difficult and slows me down more than a “normal” story. I was also pleased to learn that Graf and Pai have fights. All couples do; perfectly normal. So long as you love someone, it’s fine to not like them for awhile.

I have a suspicion that things will get very, very ugly when Alix’s mother comes back and finds Pai there. Fun times.

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Pai-Graf, 17/17. End Part 1

Ivan has shown up in two of my books, already, and is also in one of tales of my third short story collection, due out in a few days. Vlad is new to me. I found it a little interesting that their older step-sister, Tay, did not take part in this meeting. I enjoy how Ivan forces his kid sister to “show it all” to her Intended, nearly killing him. Again. I also wonder just what Pai saw in Graf. I cannot imaging a child of Reina to be scared.

With some help from an important friend and colleague, I was able to get some words down for Part 2. However, I’ve some “real work” to do in putting together an anthology of like-minded writers, due for release by the end of this year.

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Pai-Graf, 14/x

Detente continues apace on Pai’s small ship, so long is Graf is able to patch over the cracks which keep reappearing. I wanted to reinforce just how alien this is to him, both in space and in time, even with just a major-metro city like Pete’s. I think he’s holding up very well.

I think I’ll post something everyday this week, that will get me to the end of Part One. After that, as I mentioned, I need to start prepping for our upcoming Lemur Anthology. I know I always say, “treat writing like a job,” and that is coming back to bite me, now.

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Pai-Graf, 13/x

Imagine living in the equivalent of the US Midwest in the 1890s or maybe 1910. Internal combustion is familiar and maybe you’re heard of flying machines. Then some madwoman shows up, makes off with one of your children, shows back up with yet another crazy woman, talking about other worlds, and your son is off again. Got to hand it to this family: they roll with all this pretty well. Their neighbors down the road would likely be firing shotguns at this point.

Pai and Alix are, slowly, getting more comfortable with one another. I think that their last exchange, about Graf, is telling. In the world of the Change, everyone, human, Machine, knows things are different and to trust their hunches. They both have a hunch about Graf. I just hope they tell me, at some point.

Let’s go to Russia, next.

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Pai-Graf, 11/x

Pai continues to “bite back her spleen,” as Dante said. Thankfully, Alix gets that and tries, too. There’s a little exposition about what the ships they use can do, followed by a very brief visit from someone on-high.

Apologies for the broken update schedule. I am hopefully finally on the mend, now that we’ve an idea what is wrong with me and thus how to treat it. The rest of today should be quiet, so I am going to see if I get these three first to Graf’s home and then at least to St. Peterburg. I appreciate your tolerance.

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