#wip: homebirds

[surroundedbypearls]

The Characters of Homebirds!

Denise Perez Acosta; ability of invisibility and shapeshifting

Elijah Kravitz; ability of healing and energy projection

Logan Reid; ability of heightened speed/strength and senses

Isaac Evans; ability of telepathy and telekinesis

Catherine King; ability to mimic and influence animals

Dean Yamazaki; ability to transfer and absorb energy

Margot Bishop; ability to manipulate technology

Hari Salzano; ability to manipulate plant life

In the Evergreen City, eight teenagers live, study, fight, and fall in love. Things come to a head at Margot Bishop’s 18th birthday party, when midnight strikes and they’re attacked by a creature from another world. They discover their home is not their home at all; they’re from all over the universe. And they have special abilities not found anywhere else on earth.

More on Homebirds here! Leave a comment or an ask to be added to the taglist.

#writeblr #writers of tumblr #my wips #ya fiction #fantasy fiction #sci fi #original fiction #original characters #my moodboards #my edits #wip: homebirds

[adaparkwrites]

The Library

Now for the mother of all my “featured writer” posts. The Library! Here, I want to showcase some of my mutuals’ amazing WIPs. Each one of them is unique and crafted with love, and I recommend checking them out as soon as possible!

Action/Adventure

A Deal Worth Taking by @dreamswithadashofspice​

Arcana by @kryskakikomi​

The Ark by @wildler​

Comedy - Dark

A Florist’s Guide to Twisting Time by @inesnenci​​

Death Flower by @whatheangelsdreamof​

Humanity’s Demon by @hannahs-creations​

The D.A.H.L.I.A. Project by @dreamswithadashofspice​

The Malachite King by @somealienquill​

Contemporary - Dark Academia

Mesmeric at Cedar Rapids by @tormentings​

Sound Carries by @aelenko​

Contemporary - Slice of Life

Arcana by @kryskakikomi​

Contemporary - YA

Mesmeric at Cedar Rapids by @tormentings​

Contemporary - NA

Bloodthread by @scioltezza​

Escaping the Water Village by @scioltezza​

The Darkest Half of Me by @writevevo​

We Called Her Rocket by @writevevo​

Dystopian

Nature & Nurture by @keen2meecha​

Not Your Typical Fairy Tale by @atbwrites​

The Ark by @wildler​

The D.A.H.L.I.A. Project by @dreamswithadashofspice​

The Slaughter of Finches by @noloumna​

To Wear a Crown by @thatwritergirlsblog​

Fairytale

A Fairytale of Skeletons and Flowers by @chauceryfairytales

Fantasy - High Fantasy

Angels of the Abyss by @percvalx​

Carry me Home by @whatheangelsdreamof​

Firebreathers by @magic-is-something-we-create​ 

Fury’s Reign by @furysreign​

Tales from Inarde by @zusollen​

The Awakening of the Thorn Prince by @noloumna​

The Writer Trilogy by @linariouswrites​

Fantasy - Historical

A Deal Worth Taking by @dreamswithadashofspice​

A Florist’s Guide to Twisting Time by @inesnenci

Daughter of the Augury by @ellatholmes​ 

The Heron’s House by @medusaswrites

Fantasy - Magic Realism

December’s Fool by @focusdumbass​

Dull: Presley’s Study by @writinganddyinginside​

Easy Now, With My Heart by @whatheangelsdreamof​

Fantasy - Modern

Humanity’s Demon by @hannahs-creations​

Of Life, Death, and Vampirism by @goatsghostwrites​

The Anomaly Project by @goatsghostwrites​

Fantasy - Paranormal

Humanity’s Demon by @hannahs-creations​

The Slaughter of Finches by @noloumna​

Waltzing with Souls Book 1: Reaper’s Guide by @waltzingwithsouls​ 

While Woods Watch by @thepeninthestone​

Fantasy - Urban

Arcana by @kryskakikomi​

December’s Fool by @focusdumbass​

Ghost Hunting With a Non-Believing Clairvoyant by @goatsghostwrites​

Gifted by @keen2meecha​

The Circular Centuries by @leah-yasmin-writes​ 

The D.A.H.L.I.A. Project by @dreamswithadashofspice​

Morgana City Murders by @charles-joseph-writes

Waltzing with Souls Book 1: Reaper’s Guide by @waltzingwithsouls

Fantasy - YA

Angels of the Abyss by @percvalx​

Child of Nothing (Sequel: Child of Darkness) by @childrenoflight-darkness-nothing​

Dull: Presley’s Study by @writinganddyinginside​

Gifted by @keen2meecha​

The Awakening of the Thorn Prince by @noloumna​

The Glowing Cities by @sunlight-and-starskies

The Perception of a Poison by @mjmnorwood​

To Catch the Sea by @surroundedbypearls​

Tracking Dusk by @writevevo

Fantasy - NA

Bloodthread by @scioltezza​

The Queen of Decay by @writevevo​ 

The Wildfire King by @surroundedbypearls​

Fantasy - No Specific Subgenre

Alleen by @waltzingwithsouls​

Grave Mercy by @inesnenci

The Stenotyper & the Dragonslayer by @somealienquill​

Thunder and Opal by @ariannastewart

Traitors and Gods by @lanawritesalittle​

Trials and Error(s) by @dreamswithadashofspice

Gothic

Daeth (and Other Mispronunciations) by @apricotwrites​

Historical

A Deal Worth Taking by @dreamswithadashofspice​

A Gentle Art by @lrose-writes​

Petals of Asphodel by @fantasy-shadows​

Horror

Hellhound by @agapiwrites​

The D.A.H.L.I.A. Project by @dreamswithadashofspice​

The Malachite King by @somealienquill​

While Woods Watch by @thepeninthestone​

Mystery

Escaping the Water Village by @scioltezza​

For the Fun of it by @vioaeon​

Morgana City Murders by @charles-joseph-writes​

Petals of Asphodel by @fantasy-shadows​

The Perception of a Poison by @mjmnorwood​

To Breathe a Vein of Ambergris by @sybil-writes​

Whisperwind by @focusdumbass​

Romance - Magic Realism

A Deal Worth Taking by @dreamswithadashofspice​

Dull: Presley’s Study by @writinganddyinginside​

Easy Now, With My Heart by @whatheangelsdreamof​

Meat & Bones by @somealienquill​

Romance - Mystery

For the Fun of it by @vioaeon​

Romance - YA

A Ruby in the Rain (formerly The New Year) by @nothingisliteral​

High Rise/Hard Fall by @whatheangelsdreamof

Sweet Like Her Soul by @writevevo​

The Ark by @wildler​

Science Fiction

Arcana by @kryskakikomi​

Dawn Horizon by @dawnhorizons​

Hellhound by @agapiwrites​

Not Your Typical Fairy Tale by @atbwrites​

The Ark by @wildler​

The Circular Centuries by @leah-yasmin-writes​ ​

The Glowing Cities by @sunlight-and-starskies​

The Martians by @wildler​

Space Opera

Usurper by @somealienquill​

Thriller - Crime

For the Fun of it by @vioaeon​

The 20-Day Heist by @winnieleighwrites​

The Hangman Confession by @charles-joseph-writes​

The Requisite Heist by @dazed-night-lights

Thriller - Spy

Death Count by @cloudwriteblr

Thriller - Superhero

A Superhero Story by @somealienquill​

Devils & Darlings by @peggydreadful

Gifted by @keen2meecha​

Homebirds by @surroundedbypearls​

Contact me if:

You want your WIP added or removed

You changed your title/genre/name and want me to edit something

You want me to change any links, categories, capitalization, etc

Send me a message, reply to this post, or drop an ask! (All asks pertaining to the library will be answered privately.)

My WIP: A Phoenix’s Guide to Humans

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#ada post #featured writer

[surroundedbypearls]

Aerabay, the Evergreen city.

Denise pulled out onto the street, turning on her wipers as she navigated through the streets that made up her and Eli’s neighbourhood. Their apartment block was around the corner from the synagogue, but their school was a little more of a trip. Aerabay, the Evergreen city, comprised tall towers of glass and steel and shorter, stouter builds like their school of old brick. Few people even lived in an ordinary house with a garden. Not that they needed one when they had the shrubbery and flowers the city’s architects had all but woven into the brickwork that surrounded them, all of it breathing with life every moment, vines climbing everywhere she looked. The vines would have a great time today, with this weather. The greenery was probably the least interesting thing to advertise about Aerabay these days, between the brand new space needle and everyone’s favourite monorail, but she still loved it more than anything else.

Aerabay is the east coast city in which the homebirds characters live. It's inspired by a few different cities and also just fiction.

More on Homebirds here! Leave a comment or an ask to be added to the taglist.

#writeblr #writers of tumblr #my wips #worldbuilding #fantasy worldbuilding #ya fiction #sci fi #fantasy fiction #wip: homebirds

[surroundedbypearls]

'He was beaming the air furnace-hot. Dean moved silently speaking in poetry.'

[Excerpt below the cut!]

Eli's smile was bright and beaming as he leaned in, cupping Dean’s chin and pulling him in for a kiss. “Hi,” he mumbled back as he pulled away, their noses brushing together. “Sorry I’m late.” “It’s okay. It’s fine.” He leaned forward and tugged Eli back in, their bodies molded together against the wall. The air was chilly, but Eli’s body was warm against his, his fingers furnace-hot as they brushed over his cheeks and ran through his hair. They needed to talk. Dean wanted to talk. They couldn’t in the car, not with Denise there. Eli had probably been praying that morning and the pain was still fresh. his lips were so soft, even with their slight chap, and he didn’t want to ruin it all by talking about something real. But he had to. Sometimes, reality was truly his worst enemy. “How are you?” Dean asked, pulling away, his thumb brushing the narrow stroke of Eli’s cheekbone, just over the faint freckle at the corner of his eye. “I mean…you know.” Eli was silent for a moment, eyes drifting shut when Dean moved back to give him space. He opened them again and swung his backpack from his shoulder, digging around inside of it until he pulled out a plastic bag of chocolate-covered hazelnuts, and ripped the seal open with one of his few fingernails not bitten to a stub. Taking one out and popping it into his mouth, he held the bag out to Dean. He took one silently, and Eli’s left cheek bulged as the hazelnut slipped to the side and he said, “I’m okay.” The two squatted down against the wall, shovelling the chocolate hazelnuts in so they wouldn’t have to speak. Dean knew he had to speak first. Eli loved talking about feelings, loved expressing himself in poetry and personal essays and general noisiness. But when it came to his dad, that expressiveness shrank inside him into nothing. Dean understood that well enough. So it was up to him. Another blackout poem from my YA superhero WIP, ‘Homebirds’! Dean's got a secret! Someone else might be involved.

More on Homebirds here! Leave a comment or an ask to be added to the taglist.

#writeblr #writers of tumblr #my wips #my writing #blackout poems #blackout poetry #my edits #fantasy fiction #sci fi #ya fiction #superhero fiction #wip: homebirds #oc: dean yamazaki

[surroundedbypearls]

'The tune of the lights, the shadows - this greenery made him buzz with life.' [Excerpt below the cut!]

Hari had always thought Logan was pretty. Lots of girls were pretty, sure. Denise was pretty, too. Catherine was gorgeous. But Logan had a way of carrying herself that he’d always liked. She sloped like a cat, graceful and sure of every step.  Only right now, she could hardly take two straight steps. He held one of her toned arms slung around his shoulders, while Denise supported her on the other side. Catherine’s house had plenty of bathrooms, but none of them had been closer than the drainage grid out in the backyard. Logan barely made it into her secluded little corner before she wrenched herself from their grip and bent over, emptying the contents of her stomach onto the ground. “Give her space,” Denise said, voice calm as she rubbed Logan’s back. He did as she asked and took a step away, a shiver running over his bare arms. He hadn’t thought to grab his jacket; Logan’s situation had been a little too urgent. He tried to tune out the sounds of her gagging and Denise’s soothing mumbling as he scanned the garden. The place was dimly lit by the outdoor lights scattered around the patio and up the slope of the grass. Up by the steps to the hydrangea bushes, he spotted a pair of figures hidden in the shadows. He didn’t mind being out here. He’d always loved this garden. It had so much more greenery than their little balcony at home. It made him feel so…alive, in a way he couldn’t explain.  Logan groaned and brought his attention back to her.

Another blackout poem from ‘Homebirds’! I like the more nature-focused image I went with for this one. Makes sense for Hari.

More on Homebirds here! Leave a comment or an ask to be added to the taglist.

#writeblr #writers of tumblr #my wips #my writing #blackout poetry #blackout poems #my edits #fantasy fiction #sci fi #ya fiction #superhero fiction #wip: homebirds #oc: hari salzano #oc: logan reid #oc: denise perez acosta

[surroundedbypearls]

'She was elated, her breath calm, her feet flying.' [Excerpt below the cut!]

Logan bent her knee and counted down from three. And she took off across the grass. Running elated her; the patter of her heart and the breath hammering in her lungs brought her to heights she found nowhere else. Art first, it was all the same. She picked up speed as she moved, adapting to the pressure in her lungs and in her feet, getting used to the rush of it. But her legs moved faster, and her breath became calmer. It felt almost like a jog, but it couldn’t be a jog. The other corner of the field was coming towards like a blur. Logan looked down at her feet, watching them fly. What it would feel like to actually take off into the air, to no longer need gravity tying her to the earth? She realised she’d already finished a lap when she passed her discarded jacket by the path. But had she passed it already? She couldn’t tell anymore. Maybe she really was flying. What if she jumped so high she reached the clouds, or at least the top of the space tower— Logan skidded to a stop, heels dragging in the grass. She staggered onto her knees, the impact sending a shockwave up through her body, her palms rough with dirt as she broke her fall. Her throat now ached now she’d finally stopped. She coughed, cleared her throat. She should have brought water. “I thought you were supposed to be fit.” She looked up. Kennie stood by the fence, arms folded. Logan stayed on her knees, unsure of what to do, what to say. Kennie was just watching her, nothing resembling shock in her expression. What was the appropriate opening to this conversation? Another blackout poem from my YA superhero WIP, ‘Homebirds’! Logan gets the chance to test her abilities.

More on Homebirds here! Leave a comment or an ask to be added to the taglist.

#writeblr #writers of tumblr #my wips #my writing #blackout poetry #blackout poems #my edits #fantasy fiction #sci fi #ya fiction #superhero fiction #wip: homebirds #oc: logan reid

[surroundedbypearls]

'Eli reached and pressed his heart in tight, left the memory in an album.' [Excerpt below the cut!]

People said Eli looked like his dad. Sometimes, he could see what they meant. They said the same blue eyes, the same blond hair (before Dad had gone grey). And he’d seen photos of him in his younger years on his bubbe’s wall. He was just like Eli when he was young. All limb, no body. He reached down and picked the mewling Cheddar from the floor, hugging his chubby body. Cheddar purred and rubbed off his chin, and he squeezed so tight he felt Cheddar tense in his arms. “Sorry, baby.” What was he doing? What good did it do, staring at photos on the mantel? He pressed his nose against the crown of Cheddar’s head and breathed in his smell. They hadn’t been back to Birchwood in a long time. Faye and his mom wouldn't go without him, and he wouldn't go again. Never again. He wouldn’t be able to walk on those trails without remembering the day his father slowed in his strides, clutched himself, and collapsed to his knees. It was a heart attack, the paramedics told him afterwards. It ran in his father’s side of the family, got his zayde when he was only in his fifties. Eli didn’t know what it looked like when someone had a heart attack. So when it happened, his first wild thought was that it had to be just a prank. But he could remember the almost crazed expression in his father’s eyes, and the chill that ran through him when he realised it was fear. Another blackout poem from my YA superhero WIP, ‘Homebirds’! Eli's going through it, if you couldn't tell.

More on Homebirds here! Leave a comment or an ask to be added to the taglist.

#writeblr #writers of tumblr #my wips #my writing #blackout poems #blackout poetry #my edits #fantasy fiction #sci fi #ya fiction #superhero fiction #wip: homebirds #oc: eli kravitz

[surroundedbypearls]

OC in fifteen

Thank you for tagging me @sarandipitywrites! You can find their post on their OC Baz here

Rules: Share 15 or fewer lines of dialogue from an OC, ideally lines that capture the character/personality/vibe of the OC. Bonus points for just using the dialogue without other details about the scene, but you’re free to include those as well!

I'm in the middle of editing Homebirds after the beta feedback last year, so I'm going to share some dialogue from Logan! I'm just sharing 7 for now:

“I want the place to be packed when we get there. I want to see Margot’s scowl.”

“We’ll see who has the best record by the end of the semester.”

“I’m never drinking beer again. No one let me drink it, got it?”

[o being told her abilities make her a warrior of super strength and speed] “Boring. That’s basically what I am now.”

“Am I tall enough for you, Margot? I’ve got great posture.”

“God? Is that you?”

“You should really ask before you check how we’re feeling, you know, Isaac, it’s a little rude."

Despite what the above might imply, Logan and Margot are not an item.

Tagging @mrbexwrites, @planets-and-prose, @danafaithwriting and @harmonyverendez!

#oc in fifteen tag #my tag games #wip: homebirds

[surroundedbypearls]

'Curiosity. Puzzlement. Fascination. Catherine watched it, sensed it, calling her from...somewhere.' [Excerpt below the cut!]

“Go away.” The monster stared and stepped back. Bent its legs, not to pounce, but to crouch, to relax. Catherine stared at it. If she imagined hard enough, she could almost picture a wagging its tail. A stubby little tail, though. Like a bulldog.  That was it. A giant, masked bulldog. “Stand down,” she said, keeping her tone calm, though she hissed as Margot’s fingernails dug into her. “What the fuck are you doing?” Margot whispered. “I didn’t think it speaks English, Cat.” “But it’s listening to her. Look.” Eli’s voice was hushed, but she couldn’t miss his awe in, and embarrassment flushed her cheeks. But he was right. The monster had backed away and plonked its backside down on the grass. It was still a menacing creature, it still sent terror through her — but, for now, it was calm. Still waiting, still watching, but the rumble in its chest was gone. She sensed curiosity in it. She felt it. Puzzlement. Fascination. Though maybe that was coming from her. Maybe they were mirroring each other. “Guys,” she said, voice somehow steady, “Don’t freak out at me, but...it feels like I can read its mind.”

Another blackout poem from my YA superhero WIP, ‘Homebirds’! Catherine makes a new friend. sort of.

More on Homebirds here! Leave a comment or an ask to be added to the taglist

#writeblr #writers of tumblr #my wips #my writing #blackout poetry #blackout poems #my edits #fantasy fiction #sci fi #ya fiction #superhero fiction #wip: homebirds #oc: catherine king

[surroundedbypearls]

HOMEBIRDS needs Beta readers!

Homebirds is a 88k-word YA sci-fi/fantasy novel, the first of a series, following multiple characters' POVs.

In the Evergreen City, eight 17-year-olds live, study, fight and fall in love. Things come to a head at Margot Bishop’s 18th birthday party when midnight strikes and they’re attacked by a creature from another world. They discover their home is not their home at all; they’re from all over the universe. They have special abilities not found anywhere else on earth. And their future is more uncertain than they could have ever imagined.

I'm finally looking for beta readers for Homebirds! I'm looking for general feedback on plot/characters/setting, very story-based more than prose/style based!

This beta will run from April 21st to May 20th, but there is wiggle room! I have details about this on the form, so if the timeline is a limit for you but you'd still like to take part, please let me know. I'm running on no deadlines here but my own, so I'm flexible!

I am offering beta reading in exchange! Any WIP up to 100k words is fine, so if you're looking for beta readers in the future, shoot me a message!

Important links:

The Beta reader application form! (open until April 20th)

See the intro post/masterpost for more information

Check out this preview of Chapter 1!

If you can, please reblog to boost!

#writeblr #writers of tumblr #writers on tumblr #beta call #beta readers #beta request #writing community #sci fi #superhero fiction #ya fiction #wip: homebirds

[surroundedbypearls]

‘She twinkled like glass and flowers.’

[Excerpt below the cut!]

Eli’s eyes twinkled when he laughed. If Denise told anybody that, they’d laugh at her for sure. She used to want to fall into those blue eyes and swim in them until she drowned, back when she was a preteen with ridiculous notions of fairytale romance. She wanted to meet another boy whose eyes twinkled like his did — hopefully one who might be interested in a girl like her. Or well, any girls. That’d be a start.

Denise pulled out onto the street, turning on her wipers as she navigated through the streets of her and Eli’s neighbourhood. Their apartment block was around the corner from the synagogue, but their school was a little more of a trip. Aerabay comprised tall towers of glass and steel and shorter, stouter builds like their school of old brick. Few people even lived in an ordinary house with a garden anymore. Not that they needed one when they had the shrubbery and flowers the city’s architects had all but woven into the brickwork that surrounded them, all of it breathing with life every moment, vines climbing everywhere she looked. The greenery was probably the least interesting thing to advertise about Aerabay, these days, but she still loved it more than anything else.

Another blackout poem from my YA superhero WIP, ‘Homebirds’! From Denise's first chapter.

More on Homebirds here! Leave a comment or an ask to be added to the taglist.

#writeblr #writers of tumblr #my wips #my writing #blackout poems #blackout poetry #my edits #fantasy fiction #ya fiction #sci fi #superhero fiction #wip: homebirds #oc: denise perez acosta

[surroundedbypearls]

‘Too glitzy. Light and bubbly. shiny white wine. Margot was against it. Catherine wanted gold, delicate, pristine, perfect.’

[Excerpt below the cut!]

“Stop moving. You’ll ruin it.”

Margot dipped her brush back into the liquid eyeliner. It was black with a hint of a sparkle when it caught the light just right. For Margot, it was a little much, too glitzy for something she’d be using to make her eyes darker. But it was Catherine’s favourite, so Catherine got it.

“Sorry.” Catherine’s voice was light and bubbly as she tried to stifle her giggles, a streak of dark liner across her bare cheek. She reached for the makeup wipes and picked up her shiny coral compact mirror, wiping the black mark away. A half-full glass of white wine sat on her vanity, next to Margot’s stout glass of vanilla rum and ice.

She was against the whole party idea from the beginning, but the drinks on offer were great. Catherine’s house was plush and comfortable, and it meant she didn’t have to spend the night staring at her family. Catherine’s parents being away again meant they both got what they wanted. Margot got a night away, and Catherine got to fill the house to the brim again.

Catherine took a delicate sip of her wine, her manicured nails drumming against the vanity when she put the glass back down again. “Okay, okay. I’ll behave.” She turned back to Margot, and her eyes were like liquid gold.

Another blackout poem from my YA superhero WIP, ‘Homebirds’! In which Margot and Catherine are first introduced.

More on Homebirds here! Leave a comment or an ask to be added to the taglist.

#writeblr #writers of tumblr #my wips #my writing #blackout poetry #blackout poems #my edits #fantasy fiction #sci fi #ya fiction #superhero fiction #wip: homebirds #oc: margot bishop #oc: catherine king

[surroundedbypearls]

‘Claustrophobia consumed him, his own mind a comfort. He would talk about it...eventually.’

Was that what Isaac could hear? Other people’s thoughts? Garin said he was a telepath. And hearing those words come from his mouth was so strange, so familiar somehow. It was hearing something about yourself that just clicked. Like when he was twelve, and one of his more confident classmates told him that people could get crushes on boys and girls, and he thought, Oh, yeah, makes sense. That’s me. 

Garin calling him a telepath somehow felt the same. The overwhelming sense of claustrophobia that always consumed him, the voices nagging at him; perhaps those had never been from people speaking aloud. Somehow, he understood his own mind a little better. At least that was a comfort.

He lingered in front of the garage for a while, hands stuffed in his jacket pockets. Not for the first time, he wished his mom were still around. He thought about walking for longer, to the street where her flower shop used to be. But looking at that would be even more depressing.

It's a blackout poem from my YA superhero WIP, ‘Homebirds’! Isaac struggles after discovering the truth.

Become a Beta reader for Homebirds

More on Homebirds here! Leave a comment or an ask to be added to the taglist.

#writeblr #writers of tumblr #my wips #my writing #blackout poems #blackout poetry #my edits #fantasy fiction #sci fi #ya fiction #superhero fiction #wip: homebirds #oc: isaac evans

[surroundedbypearls]

HOMEBIRDS: Elijah Kravitz

‘What good did anger do, anyway? There were people now, alive, who needed his attention a whole lot more.’

[Excerpt below the cut!]

When Eli got home, he found his hand shook as he tried to unlock the door. It took him so long to find the right key and turn it in the keyhole, that by the time he got the door open, his mother was on the other side, yanking the handle out of his grip.

“Where have you been?” she spat. “Do you have any idea how worried I was?”

For a second, like an idiot, he forgot why she’d be so upset. So he was late coming home, big deal. Then he realised he had no idea what time it was. And he had spent the last few hours in various forms of peril. Though she didn’t know that yet. “Sorry.”

“Sorry? Why didn’t you call? Elisa called and asked if I’d seen Denise, because she never came home after school, and then when you weren’t here either and you weren’t answering any of my messages, I thought-”

“What did you think? That I died?”

“Don’t say that. How dare you say that?”

He shut his eyes. “I’m sorry.”

“What happened, Eli?”

He took a deep breath, but it entered his lungs in a choke at best. “I-I don’t - I’ll tell you after. I don’t want to talk about it now. I want to tell you something else first.”

Her eyes narrowed. Probably still reeling from the worry. He should have called once they were safe. He had no right to do this to her. To be so selfish.

“Dad pushed me away from him the day we were out on the track,” he said. “He wouldn’t let me touch him.”

She released her hold on his shoulders. Her mouth trembled. “Oh, Eli…”

He grunted when she hugged him so hard his ribs felt crushed. “Why didn’t you tell me this sooner?”

“I don’t know. I told the paramedics, but I didn’t think you had to know. I didn’t think it meant anything. And then afterwards, when everything happened…I just. I didn’t even know what to think. I didn’t know how to process it.” Though he knew how he had been processing it. Not well, apparently.

“I’m sorry I shouted at you. But I was terrified. if I lost you as well…”

“I’m sorry I didn’t call. I know I should have. Things got crazy. A lot’s happened today, and I…I’ve been dealing with a lot.”

“Eli, you shouldn’t have been dealing with any of this by yourself.”

“I just wish he’d told me back then. Let me try and help him. I’m so angry, Mom. I’m so fucking angry with him.” His voice cracked, and he realised he was out of tears.

“Now, stop that.” She pulled away and held his shoulders, her gaze turned up towards him. “Listen to me, Elijah. What would have happened if he did tell you, and you failed? What then? How would you have dealt with that? Your dad knew it was dangerous to encourage you to use your powers before it was time. We all knew it. What if something happened to you?” She took a deep breath. “There’s no way to know if you would have saved him. I don’t know if what he did was right, and we can never know that now. But I would have done the same. For you, or Faye? I’d die for you.”

“Don’t stay stuff like that.”

“It’s the truth. I’d do anything for my babies.” She tugged his head down towards her and kissed his forehead. Only a year or two prior, she would've been able to do that without him bending down to meet her. “I know you’re angry with him, but try not to be. He did it for your own good.”

He smiled, unable to help himself. “Joe said the same thing.”

“Joe?”

“Short version, he’s the school counsellor. Longer version…”

“We’ll talk about it later.” She hugged him again, gentler this time.

“Its not fair.”

“I know it’s not, darling.”

“But I’m going to…I mean - I’m going to try not to be angry with him, anymore.”

“Trying is all you can do.” She let him go. “Are you hungry? It’s so late, have you had any dinner? We have leftovers in the fridge. And then you’re going to bed, understand? You need your rest. And in the morning, you’re telling me everything. Every. Thing. Got it?”

He couldn’t help smiling as she caught her breath. “Okay. Thanks, Mom.”

As he followed her into the kitchen, something about him felt…different. Like the weight on his shoulders was lighter. What good did anger do, anyway? There were people now, alive, who needed his attention a whole lot more.

He felt almost aglow.

But maybe that was just his growing magic at play.

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[surroundedbypearls]

HOMEBIRDS: Logan Reid

Her body felt wonderfully warm. A warmth she recognised. A warmth she’d come to know.

[Excerpt below the cut!]

Logan opened her eyes, blinking long and slow. It was almost like she had a hangover. That was usually the only time she felt so numb and heavy. But at least she didn’t feel the usual nausea. She’d take this over a hangover any day.

Somewhere far away, her muscles twitched and she could almost move. She still felt electric, and not in a good way. Like her whole body was one giant nervous tick.

As she opened her eyes fully, her vision was taken over by a blinding golden light. A shadow hovered in the light before her, just a head and shoulders. She couldn’t make out anything else. But her body felt wonderfully warm. A warmth she recognised. A warmth she’d come to know.

“God?” she mumbled, holding back the mad laugh in her chest. She had to laugh at the oddity of it all. “Is that you?”

Eli sighed. “Shut up. It’s me.”

“My hero.”

She rolled onto her side as the warmth travelled up to her hip, cleansing the sting from her body. Would she have a burn, wherever the baton hit her? Probably not, if Eli had anything to do with it. Though she wouldn’t mind a cool looking scar.

No, wait. It wasn’t a baton. It was Dean. Ow.

Through blurred vision, the soldiers flew across the hallway like puppets on strings. Someone was at the end of the hall. Who was that? She strained her eyes and tried to look, but everything was so much effort right now.

“Is that…?”

“Shh.” Eli’s voice soothed her. “Just relax. I’m almost done.”

“Hmm...okay.”

It was so easy to just let the darkness welcome her back.

When she woke again, the others stood over her, Eli still kneeling at her side. Isaac was there too, standing with his arms folded, as far off to the side as he could get away with. She grinned when their eyes met. He looked almost pained by how hard he was trying not to smile.

“I knew it was you.” She sat up as slowly as she could make herself, just the slightest linger of a headache throbbing in her forehead. “You always knew how to make an entrance.”

Isaac sighed.

“Is everyone okay?”

“Don’t worry about us.” Dean’s arms enveloped her in a crushing hug. “We should be asking you. I’m so sorry. I don’t know what happened, I just - I lost control of it.”

“It’s okay. I feel fine.” She patted Dean’s arm until he let go. They could hug later. And he could buy her a shake to make up for it. She made a note to remember that. “Besides, if we’ve always got a medic on hand, you’ve got nothing to worry about.”

He didn’t look like he really believed her, but it was close enough.

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[surroundedbypearls]

HOMEBIRDS: Hari Salzano

‘ “Your son looks more like you every day - I heard him laugh today and it was like you were there with me…" ‘

[Excerpt below the cut!]

Hari wasn’t sure even what he was looking for, exactly. Would Joe have some kind of diary he kept, spying on their every move?

“I mean, maybe,” he mumbled to himself, now he was alone. Spies had to be organised, didn’t they?

He went for the planner first. Except for one or two mentions of Eli’s name, scribbled with an appointment time, nothing. He went for the drawers next. The first drawer was full of snacks and loose tea bags. The other drawer had a couple of folders - nothing - and, crammed in at the bottom, a small red notebook with a rubber band around the cover.

“Aha.”

He picked it up. If anything was going to be a spy’s secret ledger, it had to be the red one. That was just the rule. He opened it up.

The writing was scribbled, frenzied, but still recognisable as Joe’s handwriting. No mention of him, or any of the others, not even of Eli. As he flicked through, he realised it wasn’t a diary. Not exactly. They were pages and pages of unaddressed love letters.

“Your son looks more like you every day - I heard him laugh today and it was like you were there with me…”

“I think about reaching out all the time. When the moon’s full, I think that’s when I miss you the most, and home. I miss being so close to the sea…”

“What the hell?” His face flushed - he shouldn’t be reading this - and he flicked through only to check for their names. It didn’t seem like something Joe would write. It seemed so...melancholy. It seemed like something almost written in another era. He didn’t have time to be getting distracted by Victorian love letters.

The rest of the office was a total dud. A waste of time. It was only as he opened the door to leave the office, significantly deflated, that he heard Joe’s voice. Cursing, he slipped away from the door just as Joe emerged from around the corner, phone pressed to his ear.

Maybe Joe was just a normal guy who worked at their school. And here he was, lurking around like some kind of weirdo. He wandered across the hall and rooted into his pocket, looking for ‘something’ as he whistled a tuneless melody to himself. Joe glanced up from his phone, but made no move to go into the office.

With nothing else to take from his pocket, Hari withdrew the bag of rice, his phone clacking about inside, screen still black and empty. He feigned surprise. “Hi, Joe.”

“Hari. Still here?”

“Yeah, I was talking to--” He thought fast. “Ms Nicks, about a project.”

Joe smiled and said, “That was nice of her. Did she call you? Looks like you’re having phone trouble.”

“Call me?” He gripped the baggie. “No. Why?”

“Well, how else would you talk to her?” Joe pocketed his phone. “She left an hour ago for an appointment.”

“Um. Well, she-” He reached inside the baggie for his phone. If anything, maybe it would make a good weapon.

“By the way.” He tapped the fogged glass on his office door. “I don’t lock my office because there’s nothing in it worth seeing. This isn’t a movie.”

“I don’t know what you’re telling me that for. Why would I go into your office?” “Well, I was about to ask you that. Why were you in my office?”

Throw the phone. Knock his teeth out. Grow a plant. There were no plants in sight. Maybe there was some mould in the walls he could grow. Did mould count as a plant, or was it more of a germ?

It was at that moment that his phone sprung to life in his hand, buzzing and ringing into one long barrage of text tones. It jumped from his palm and clattered onto the floor. For a moment, he forgot about Joe’s pressing questions and his first wild thought was, “Oh, fuck, the screen--”

“It’s not broken.” Joe picked it up, glancing down. Hari realised then what was happening and reached for it, snatched it back.

The first text on the screen was from Denise. Five messages. Then Logan. Three messages. Dean, four messages. The subject was very much the same. A chill ran through him.

“Hari.”

He looked up.

Joe watched him with weary eyes. “There’s some things I need to explain.”

Shit. Seriously?

“Look, I - I’m not who you think I am.” Joe’s eyes burned. “But I can help you save them.”

Save them? Jesus Christ.

But what did he have to lose?

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