Osamaru Ta

(AS) B3 - Lesson 44: "... Bump Back."

Rain slicked the rooftops and pooled in the cracks between the tiles.

Fifteen minutes had passed. Long enough for the thunder to roll closer, for the drizzle to turn into a downpour that hammered the western quarter until the streets gleamed like black glass.

The leader crouched at the lip of a roof overlooking the narrow street. Water streamed down his mask, tracing the red slash across its painted mouth. His gloves were soaked through, the chill crawling up his sleeves, but he d...

(WLTK) B2 - Chapter 46: “Playground Rules.”

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Sunday, October 16th, 2253 — 10:05 AM

The Mystical Menagerie

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The murmur of voices filled the shop like the low hum of a hive — not loud, just constant. Jeremiah stood behind the counter, elbows resting on the wood, and let his gaze drift over the small crowd that had claimed nearly every corner of the café. The scent of co...

(AS) B3 - Lesson 43: "When Things Go Bump In The Night..."

The boy’s leg was nearly mended when the [Wasp] landed on Dr. Maria’s shoulder. Its weight was barely noticeable, a soft vibration against the fabric of her sleeve, but the faint metallic click of its feet drew her attention all the same.

She didn’t look up from her work. “Steady, now,” she murmured to the child as she adjusted the final wrap of gauze. The boy winced, then relaxed when her fingers brushed the bandage smooth, and the soft blue glow of her heali...

(AS) B3 - Lesson 42: "Hunters And The Hunted."

I'm alive.

Just had a really rough weened and been sick.

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Seren disliked tea.

It wasn’t the taste so much as the performance of it—the way people in this part of the city turned it into theater. Porcelain cups, delicate trays, the faint clink of glass spoons against crystal bowls. All that ceremony for boiled water and dried leaves. Still, he kept up the act. It was good for appearances.

He sat on the ba...

(WLTK) B2 - Chapter 45: "An Offer You Can't Refuse."

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Saturday, October 15th, 2253 — 7:20 AM

The Mystical Menagerie

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The bell above the front door gave a tired little jingle as Jeremiah pushed his way inside, stifling a yawn behind the back of his hand. The early light slanted through the dew-streaked windows, painting pale gold lines across the counter and the polished tile. The...

(AS) B3 - Lesson 41: "Let Them Talk."

The sun slanted low through the narrow windows of the new shop, throwing amber bars across the stone floor. Hugo sat with his back to the wall, arms folded, his bulk filling the room with the kind of presence that didn’t need words. Alpha’s [Wasp] rested on the table between them, red optic dimmed to a thoughtful glow.

“You’ll forgive me if I’m blunt,” Hugo rumbled at last. His scarred hands flexed open and shut, the sound of chitin plates rasping together. ...

(WLTK) B2 - Chapter 44: "Farewell."

This chapter is longer than normal.

Though trigger warning; you might cry.

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Friday, October 14th, 2253 — 11:23 AM

The Mystical Menagerie

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Rain whispered against the front windows, tracing pale ribbons down the glass before gathering in s...

(AS) B3 - Lesson 40: "Everyone Has Their Story."

The holographic display bled out, lines of light folding into themselves until the desk was bare again. Alpha’s [Wasp] clicked its mandibles shut, red optic narrowing as the glow dimmed to a steady ember. The faint hum of its wings filled the silence that followed, the only sound in Yon Stonewall’s office besides the steady creak of Hugo’s armor as he shifted his bulk.

“So, what do you think?” Alpha asked cheerfully.

Yon leaned back slowly, palms draggin...

(AS) B3 - Lesson 39: “Business Proposals 101.”

Yon Stonewall’s office carried the muted weight of authority.

The walls were clean-cut stone dressed with pale oak trim, the air faint with the tang of lamp oil and old parchment. A wide desk dominated the room, papers stacked in neat, deliberate piles, their order almost too perfect to be casual. Behind it sat Yon himself, posture easy yet exact, as though every gesture had been chosen ahead of time.

Hugo lowered himself heavily into the chair across from the desk, armor plates...

Say Hi to Billy!

Look what my friend sent me! Billy says Hi everyone!

Thanks Pyoo!

Go give her a follow and show your appreciation too!

(WLTK) B2 - Chapter 43: "A Mage's Dilemma"

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Saturday, October 9th, 2253 – 5:45 am

Jeremiah's Apartment

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The alarm clicked over to 5:45 with a dull thunk, but Jeremiah was already awake. Sleep had come in fits — shallow, scattered dreams broken by bursts of restless thought. He lay still for a moment, staring at the ceiling, the faint cracks in the plaster blu...

(WLTK) B2 - Chapter 42: "The Tides Between."

I'm not dead! Just ended up doing a metaphorical table flip.

Realized the direction I was going with something was to messy.

Jeremiah's getting pulled in to many directions at once, and while variety is the spice of life, something to much can be detracting.

With this new direction, I hope the end point for Jeremiah becomes a bit more "clear" with a more stable foundation.

What do you think of the concept?

How are you enjoying the presentation of the magic system...

(WLTK) B2 - Chapter 41: "Unnatural Harmony."

Jeremiah set his palms on the corners, as Ulrick had shown him, with his fingers splayed across the opposite edges. The cube’s surface felt cool, polished smooth, a little too perfect under his skin. For a long moment, nothing happened. The crystal only sat there on the wobbling table, runes pulsing faintly, as if mocking his effort.

His brow furrowed. Maybe he had pressed too lightly? Maybe he hadn’t angled his fingers quite right? He shifted, trying to copy Ulrick’s grip exactly...

(AS) B3 - Lesson 38: “In Guilded Halls.”

The morning air outside the temple carried the weight of sleepless nights. Clouds dragged their shadows across the tiled roofs of Halirosa, and the streets below thrummed with the slow rise of another day. The group clustered near the worn steps of the temple’s courtyard, each preparing to go their separate ways.

Garrelt adjusted the straps on his leather armor, the faint rasp of worn buckles cutting through the murmur of temple bells. His gaze swept the street with the wary calm of a...

(WLTK) B2 - Chapter 40: "The Colors Of The Soul."

Jeremiah’s mouth opened, the words balanced on the edge of his tongue. He wanted to say that he already knew.

The contract he had signed with Billy had been clear on the Oceanic affinity, even if he wasn’t quite sure how the system had granted it to him, or what it even meant. It’s not like he had felt some kind of change suddenly come over him or anything.

But Mero’s warning about letting others know too much about the System still sat heavily on his mind. And David’s q...

(AS) B3 - Lesson 37: “The Fine Art Of Fear.”

<< Alpha Log –

6952 SFY — Third Era, 10 standard months since Planetfall. >>

The brass will complain. They always do. I can already hear their voices, the endless committee chatter echoing across the black: “Unauthorized deployment.” “Deviation from protocol.” “Unnecessary risk to the integrity of experimental assets.” The chorus never changes. They didn’t like the D.U.C.K. system when I first pitched it. The...

(WLTK) B2 - Chapter 39: "The First Lesson.”

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Saturday, October 8th, 2253 – 1:45 pm

Gjöll Bakery.

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Jeremiah sat hunched forward at the wobbling little table, elbows braced on the wood, fingers drumming without rhythm. The napkin under one leg barely steadied the thing. Every time his knee bounced, the plate of pastries rattled, scatterin...

Chapters are coming, but apparently I've had Covid...

So, if you've not noticed the last few weeks have been kind of rough. Been barely able to focus and I have been able to figure out why.

Well, described how I was feeling to a friend, and they say "sounds like you've been sick."

When to the doc, and sure enough, it turns out I've been fighting a mild case of Covid for the last two weeks and didn't notice. smh

That said, I'm starting to feel a lot better recently, and while i'm not at 100%, progress is good.

WLTK chapters are out!

To Alpha Strike fans, chapters are coming. Alpha's just giving me a lot of sass right now and i'm trying to polish this up.

(WLTK) B2 - Chapter 38: "Knocking On Doors.”

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Saturday, October 8th, 2253 – 1:03 pm

The Crossroads, Market Street.

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Jeremiah’s boots scuffed against the cobblestones as he made his tenth circuit in front of the bakery. He muttered under his breath, the same phrases looping in his head like a broken record.

Just ask. It’s a q...