@stevendbrewer@wandering.shop

"It happened that the leader's moll was coming in. The Orca ran smack into her on the sidewalk and knocked her down."
He began to chuckle.
"She was pissed! She tackled the Orca and they were rolling around in the grass with everybody screaming, 'Catfight!'"
He was openly laughing now. (2/4) #wss366

Jimmy leaned back and closed his eyes.
"Ah! I can still see it. The Orca was out the door. The guards were running for the door. There was a scream."
He rubbed his eyes then opened them, and looked at Coral. Then the corners of his eyes crinkled up. (1/4) #wss366

Tanuki-chan registers her disapproval. #DogsOfMastodon

"What… What was…" Coral stammered trying to come up with one question out of all of them swirling around in her mind.
"She was in and out in seconds," he said. "By the time his guards reacted she was long gone. It had been planned perfectly, down to the last detail — except for one." (2/2) #wss366

Coral's mouth dropped open and she stared at Jimmy.
"My mother?" she finally said. "My mother… shot them?"
"Yup."
"Wait, wait, wait! Are you saying my mother was… an assassin?"
"They called her The Orca."
"Orca?"
"You know, like a killer #whale — dressed in black and white." (1/2) #wss366

Maybe we should require data centers to be multi-use buildings that include affordable housing.

"He was trying to quietly patch up a split in his organization. He'd just about brought the two dissenters together when she walked in."
He leaned back and sighed, remembering.
"She was small and pretty: dressed to the nines! And she shot them all in the head. Bang! Bang! Bang!" (4/4) #wss366

"Twenty years ago, I was in a bar not five miles away, as the #crow flies. The leader of the Ampleks cartel was there with his two lieutenants."
He paused for a moment and twirled his cup around in its saucer. (3/4) #wss366

"Most field agents operate under pretty strict control. They wanted to be sure they had the right person before they picked her up."
"But why would anyone want to abduct my mom?"
"Do you know where I met your mom?"
Coral shook her head.
Jimmy paused a moment, thinking. (2/4) #wss366

Jimmy sipped his tea, then put the cup down.
"Here's what I think happened," he said. "They occupied the house next door to observe for several days, probably while they contacted their controllers for guidance."
"Their controllers?"
Jimmy nodded. (1/4) #wss366

The age of sakura is over. The time of the apple has come. #BloomScrolling

Sakuras after the rainstorm. #SilentSunday

#ScribesAndMakers Do you ever read out loud, either to yourself or someone else?

When my children were little, I read to them all the time. We read many books: Winnie the Pooh, Tom Sawyer, The Hobbit, the Lord of the Rings, Alice in Wonderland, and many more.

I sometimes offer readings and there are recordings of me reading that can be found.

The last thing I do when writing a story is to read it out loud to identify any place my tongue stumbles, so I can edit it. It's a really helpful trick.

"Milk? Or sugar?" she asked.
He shook his head. He templed his fingers in thought and said nothing for several moments.
Coral felt her tension begin to rise again.
"Will I ever see my mom again?" she asked, plaintively.
He laughed. "Please," he said. "No death flags!" (4/4) #wss366

The routine provided a sense of normalcy and the smell of the tea was relaxing. For the first time since discovering that her mom was missing, her heart wasn't racing with panic.
Jimmy finally came into the dining room. He seated himself while she poured the tea. (3/4) #wss366

While she waited, she got down the teapot and measured out some tea leaves into it. Then she got down two of the china tea cups and carried them to the table. When the kettle began to whistle, she poured the water into the teapot and carried it too out the table. (2/4) #wss366

Jimmy explored the rest of the house. He thoroughly studied every room, looking for any additional clues. Coral trailed after him for a while.
Eventually she grew bored and went into the kitchen. She filled the kettle, lit a burner on the stove, and set the water to boil. (1/4) #wss366

This sakura tree, probably of similar age to ours, is almost completely dead. But one small branch still flowers and leafs out.

Inside, there was no bar of soap, but rather a small electronic device.
"It's a camera," he said, pointing at the lens.
"In her bathroom?" Coral said, scandalized.
"It was pointed toward the open door into her bedroom. They probably wanted to monitor her daily routine." (3/3) #wss366

He proceeded to carefully check her bed, laundry hamper, and her bathroom. He studied all of the bottles and cosmetics on her #sink. Coral watched in silence.
"What's this?" Jimmy said. He pointed at a stack of packages of bar soap. He retrieved the one from the bottom and opened it. (2/3) #wss366