365 Days of Drabbles, Day One Hundred Sixty-Seven

For ankewehner: “Swamp flowers”

* * *

She paddled the boat through the marsh. First Quest, the dragon had said. Consulting mysterious hermit for clues. Except that she didn't know where the hermit was, aside from “In the swamp”.

The boat slipped between two cypress trees, and she found herself in open water, the sunlight streaming down to land on a field of water lilies. She nearly dropped her oar in the water as the blue, pink, and yellow swamp flowers surrounded her, bringing blessed color to the marsh's endless brown and green.

“Welcome to my home,” a green woman said, perched on a cypress branch.

365 Days of Drabbles, Day One Hundred Sixty-Eight

For ankewehner: “What pets does the Groupmind allow on the Ring?”

* * *

“You. Did. What?” the breeder shouted.

“Chemically neutered all of your poodles, sir,” the Groupmind repeated.

“'Neutered...' Those dogs were worth a hundred grand!”

“Sir, the same was done for all the other canine pets brought to the Ring.”

“But why? We've been domesticating them for ten thousand years! They weren't dangerous!”

“No, but the amount of morphic alteration they have suffered can only be described as animal cruelty. Consider the difference between a Toy and a Standard poodle even, never mind a Chihuahua and a Wolfhound,” it said

“'No dogs allowed.' Hmph!”

[FANART] Doctor Nez will see you now.

A quick sketch of Nez the medical student from my Terinu fanficThe Summer Intern, drawn by her namesake, Naziha Zahed.