Penny

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Men vs. Women Race to 1000: Version 2.0

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Men vs. Women Race to 1000: Version 2.0

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Star Crossed: The Duke's Rebellion

Rene smiled as Rosaria attempted to convey the meaning of the word to the Syshin. Solae was, and Rene didn't even pretend not to be biased, pathologically nice, unfailingly generous and in general everything that a noble of the Stellar Empire ought to be. She wasn't soft, no one who had been through what she had endured and survived could be called that, but neither was she afraid to be merciful when the situation required it. In theory all nobles of the Stellar Empire ought to behave that way, noblesse oblige and all that, though in practice that wasn't the case. In the Imperial Court Rene had rarely seen his fellow nobles live up to such high ideals, they were often rapacious, or decadent or both with rare exceptions, like his father and his circle, who were hard bitten campaigners, committed to the ideal of duty in the abstract. Though her dazzling beauty would certainly compete with any Handmaiden, Rene found he was glad that Solae was out here among the people where she could do the most good, certainly that would bring her the most happiness.

The music, which had died away during Toltya's abortive challenge swelled back to its previous volume and the Kalderi couples began to take their place to dance. Rene turned and bowed formally to Solae.

"Duchess, may I have the pleasure of this dance?" Solae smiled and gratiously extended her hand. Rene took it and pressed his lips to the back of her palm before leading her out on the floor. Kalderi dance had little in common with the modes that were in fashion in Imperial society, having far more to do with group interaction than individualized performance. Solae and her party had spent a portion of the afternoon undergoing instruction, something which Rene and Solae, having been trained in the stately dances of the Cappelan Court, picked up quickly. Rosaria and the Syshin had a tougher time of it, though several young Kalderi males were already making a bee-line for the girl, who looked equal parts terrified and excited. The fact that all of Solae's party lacked wings made the dances even more challenging, but they had devised adaptions of their own to deal with the problem. Rene lay a hand on Solae's waist and the other on her shoulder, raising his elbow high, she mirrored the motion so that between the two of them they gave the impression of a single pair of wings.

"Thank you," he told her as they began the intricate steps of the dance, arcing in slow intersecting circles with the Kalderi couples.

"I'm certain that, whatever his grievance, he wouldn't have been willing to end a duel short of being maimed or killed."

Grim Galaxy: Shots and Chances

The new comer, Javier apparently, froze before edging his hand slowly from his clothing. In his hand he held what appeared to be a cheaply made electric razor. Junebug's pistol vanished as quickly as it had appeared and she nodded her head in brisk apology to the man.

"It's a nervous city," the man stated, offering her the out and crossing the room to shake all three of there hands.

"Thank you for saving my son, he shouldn't have gone out there, it isn't safe for anyone after dark when the gangs are in town."

"He wen't for medicine," Junebug suggested and the man nodded.

"Heart medication, thinners and regulators, I take them since I was very young," Javier explained. As he talked Magdelena stood up and went back into a small chamber set off behind a bulkhead door. She slid it open by hand and it moved smoothly on its hinges, having evidently lost the vacuum closure in its hinges over the decades. A moment later she emerged with several large plates of spiced rice with a variety of vegetables and some kind of local sausage, she sat a plate down in front of each of them with thoughtless grace.

"It wasn't always so bad, a year ago there was a factor her from the Cartel on Kimberly, the Spiders and the Scorpions, sure they cause some problems out in the fields but not here where the Cartel could see," Javier explained, he reached into a cold box and produced six bottles of some kind of local brew, each sealed with wax and beaded with condensate.

"They were afraid of the Cartel?" Junebug asked, prising the cork out of her bottle with the point of her knife and then taking a swig. It appeared to be some kind of carbonated mead, though the alcohol burned her eyes enough to make her think it was fortified. Javier nodded sadly.

"The Cartel needs them to maintain order out on the farms, but it could bring in people from offworld for that if the locals proved to much of a pain," Javier explained, "but a year ago there was a power struggle back on Kimberly, the factor went home and hasn't been back."

"Those animals don't care what happens here so long as the drugs keep coming," Magdelana snapped with unexpected vehemence.

"Meanwhile these animals," she hooked a thumb towards the surface,"run amok here, making life miserable for the normal people."

"How long they been gearing up?" Junebg asked.

"Gearing up?" Magdelena replied, looking perplexed. Junebug shoveled the rice into her mouth with the gusto of a field soldier, talking around her food in a most unladylike fashion.

"They aren't swinging their dicks around up there, well not just that," Junebug explained, "they are both getting ready to fight, fortifying, organizing."

"I don't know about that," Javier said looking a trifle nervous.

"Mostly they just swagger around with guns."

Men vs. Women Race to 1000: Version 2.0

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Penny's Pencils

Men vs. Women Race to 1000: Version 2.0

-264

The Sunday Group - Bumps in the Night

Eleanor in her office on a phone call. The frosted glass is lit by muzzle flash. Excuse me, I am going to have to call you back.

The Sunday Group - Bumps in the Night

If we know anything about Val, it is that she is awake and trippin hard at 2:47am