Summer is full here and that never makes me happy. I miss the oddly cool June. I am not made for heat.

I’m continuing with the get to know you conversation in the shuttlecraft between Kaleo and Aneirin. It’s a wee bit (i.e. a lot) over 6 sentences.

Kaleo spoke so casually about the violence he had suffered, Aneirin couldn’t comprehend it for a moment. Violence was light years from Aneirin’s reality. “I’m not going to use a pain inducer on you.” He wasn’t even sure they were entirely legal but now that he thought about, every Toy he had seen had one. He’d never paid much attention and that bothered him. “ I’m stuck with you for now. You’ll have to trust me to do right by you, and I’ll have to do the same.”

Kaleo made a face. “Trust no one, that’s what keeps you alive. I forgot and look where I am.” He rubbed his reddened eyes. “You really don’t want me, do you, Master?” The honorific got spat out like a piece of gristle.

“You don’t have to call me that, Kaleo, and no, I didn’t but it changes nothing. You’re my responsibility.”

“She called you doctor, that lady.” Kaleo pressed his fingers against the pain-inducer. “You taking this out?”

“Not that kind of doctor, but I’ll have it removed.”

“Does that mean you’re not sending me back, doctor? Please don’t send me back.” Even in the bright light of the cabin, Kaleo’s pupils were round and huge, a sure sign his sympathetic nervous system was still fully engaged.

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Back in the Pittsburgh area for the rest of the summer. I need to be working on a dozen things and I really should get to them before the novel edits arrive.

Still continuing on with the sci-fi wip. Kaleo was telling Aneirin about the pain inducer embedded in him and inviting him to try it out if that’s what he likes.

Aneirin curled his lip. “I’m not going to find out. I’ll talk to Mireio and see what’s involved in removing it.”

A wicked grin, giving hints to the real mind hiding under the Toy training, spread across Kaleo’s face. “Aren’t you afraid you won’t be able to control me? I might murder you in your sleep without it. It even says so in that guide they gave you. They want you to be sure you remember I’m from the slums.”

Aneirin snorted. “I’m not likely to forget. Even if you were to murder me in my sleep, where would you go? There’s nowhere to run to. Without the i.d. chip in your wrist, you can’t so much as buy something out of a vending machine, let alone make a shuttle go.”

“Yeah, I said the same shit to them and they turned this thing on high for….” Kaleo shrugged. “Don’t know really. I passed out.”

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Sorry I’ve gone awol again. I was in New Mexico having a blast, was home for a few days then off to the Steampunk Symposium, also a blast and then headlong into teaching STEM camp and I was signed up for 5th grade. I am not used to dealing with ten year olds especially not 30 of them. I had no spoons left for any of this

I’m continuing with Behind Blue Eyes, Aneirin is in the process of taking his ‘gift’ home but still has no idea what to do with a living being. He had asked if Kaleo wants to be a courtesan and the answer was ‘I can’t know if I do.’

Aneirin blinked. He wasn’t expecting that answer. “I don’t know what you mean.”

“They do stuff to you when they get you into the Toy factory,” Kaleo spat, his body tensing. Aneirin wondered if his Toy would lash out with his balled fists, a hint of fear licking up his throat.

“I’m sorry,” Aneirin replied, helplessly. He touched the silvery device imbedded in Kaleo’s left collarbone. “Is that a pain-inducer?”

Kaleo shuddered under Aneirin’s touch. “You have the control for it. That woman handed it to you.” He tilted his head against the back cushion, as if displaying himself. “I can take a lot, if that’s what you like. I’ll make you happy.”

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It’s been a busy two weeks since last time. I went to the work conference which was great and from there I traveled over a chunk of New Mexico. I got to see the Carlsbad Caverns (beautiful), Roswell (silly fun) along with so much in Santa Fe and Albuquerque. Here’s hoping a story or two comes out of it.

I am continuing with Aneirin and Kaleo’s story. It’s the morning after the party and Aneirin is stuck in a shuttle craft taking Kaleo home with him even though he has no idea what to do with this ‘gift.’

He climbed in after Kaleo, who settled onto the comfortable bench seating in the shuttle’s cab. Aneirin flicked a button, firing up the engine and let autopilot take over. He wished he could solve all his problems that easily. Once the ride smoothed out, Kaleo edged closer to Aneirin. He leaned over, his tongue flickering against the pulse point on Aneirin’s neck.

Aneirin gently pushed the young man back. “No, don’t do that.”

Kaleo’s nose wrinkled.  He studied Aneirin with unnerving closeness. Aneirin felt naked under his gaze. “I thought you were drunk last night and didn’t mean what you said. You don’t want me to?”

“Do you really want to?” Aneirin countered, knowing the obvious answer but was surprised Kaleo seemed to mull it over.

“I don’t know.” His face darkened as he clenched his hands. “I’m not sure I can know.”

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I am frazzled. Graduation is now closer to m id-month and I’m not used to that. I had way less time to get prepared for my work conference in a few days. That said I probably won’t be here next saturday because I’ll probably be up to my eyeballs in convention.

Continuing on with Behind Blue Eyes. It’s the next day and Aneirin has to face the fact he wasn’t drunk and imagining his gift.

By the time he got to the shuttle and programmed the flight plan to auto-pilot them back to his section of the orbital colony, Rioke had brought Kaleo to the shuttle bay. The young man had obviously not slept well. He was still in the finery from the night before but his painted-up eyes were rimmed red and puffy. The spiky hair-do had wilted. Aneirin could almost feel Kaleo’s fear from here.

“Get in,” Rioke ordered, propelling Kaleo along with a nudge. “He has no baggage, Doctor Shyroth.”

Aneirin frowned.  Of course he didn’t.  Was he supposed to leave the boy mostly naked? The answer to that was probably a big yes. He’d have to have Grimoald get Kaleo’s measurements so they could buy his new Toy clothing. “Thank you, Rioke,” he replied, hoping the bitterness didn’t shine through.

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