get your words out { 2025 } challenge tracking

[iluvroadrunner6]

Directory:

OFFICIAL CHALLENGES:

1/13/25 WIP Challenge COMPLETE

2/13-14/25 February Small Challenge: Roll the Dice COMPLETE

2025 GYWO Yahtzee IN PROGRESS

Word Count: 1,190

Comments

7/23/25 | january challenge: tarot prompts | october daye series | 1,448 | COMPLETE

[iluvroadrunner6]

Six of Cups

Simon and August arrive in the Undersea to an impressive scrutiny. Not unexpectedly on Simon’s part, impressive amounts of scrutiny have been part and parcel of his life for the past century or more. August is still adjusting to people in a lot of ways, and she takes it less well, being more accustomed to blending into her mother’s scenery.

Scrutiny does not give way to confrontation, however, and they’re quickly escorted to rooms fitting a ducal consort, at least by Undersea standards. August moves to look out one window to the sea around them and takes it all in with a level of amazement that he can’t help but smile at.

“I think you’ll like it here. Things are much more straightforward than the Divided Courts on the surface.”

August glances back at him with a small nod before straightening her shoulders. “We need to talk.”

Simon raises an eyebrow. “Do we?”

“I know why you gave me your way home. Because I’m your daughter and you love me—”

“No, it wasn’t.” August blinks, and he pauses before continuing. “Of course, that was part of it. I would sacrifice anything necessary to ensure your happiness, but your happiness was not my main concern at the moment. It was your sister’s.”

There’s a brief flicker of complicated emotions that crosses August’s face at the mention of October, and he supposes that’s fair. He also is certain her mother had plenty of choice things to say in the time that they were sequestered together.

“Your mother had taken her beloved and the beloved of her sister, trapped them in cages and would not return them without her first returning you. If I didn’t take it, October would ultimately take it upon herself, and we would be much worse off, wouldn’t we?”

“Would we?”

“Oh, your aunt would have been terribly unhappy if she had to delay the return of her children until October brought her father home. Never mind all the good October has done in the meantime. The world could not be put on hold waiting for you to pay your debt, so if I could make a small sacrifice in order to ensure that things were kept on their course, I would do so. I knew October would save me. She’s quite good at righting Faerie’s wrongs—especially mine.”

August pauses before looking out the window again, and in those complicated feelings, he also sees something almost akin to longing. “Do you think she may ever actually see me as a sister?”

“October, it turns out, can forgive a great many sins, if you give her enough time.” Simon places a hand on her shoulder gently as he leaves her to her contemplations. “Just give her time.”

Page of Coins

“He turned Toby into a fish. He turned Dean into a tree!”
Of the two, Dianda could tell which is the larger offense to her youngest son. Peter’s flukes flicker in the pool's water as he sits across from his mother, and she can tell he is not pleased with the news that Dianda and Patrick returned with.

“I know. And we’re not happy with that.”

“But you still married him.”

Dianda takes a deep breath, trying to find the few shreds of patience she possesses, most of which she channeled into dealing with her children. Peter doesn’t have the centuries of history with Simon. He doesn’t realize how much Dianda and Patrick owe him.

“Yes, we did.”

Peter grits his teeth, his expression so much like hers that it’s clear whose child he is, but she also sees pieces of Patrick in him too. A blend of both of them, and pieces she knows may disappear if Patrick is ever to truly inherit. There’s no need for that decision just yet, but she knows Patrick may ask it of Toby one day, if he decides the Duchy is what he really wants.

“I just want to understand why,” he eventually says, and she nods.

“If it weren’t for Simon Torquill, you wouldn’t exist. Neither would Dean.” It’s said so bluntly that Peter can’t help but look confused. “Your father’s Firstborn objected to our courtship, and she absolutely would not have allowed a marriage. But Simon intervened on your father’s behalf, and it cost him … so much. Him turning Toby into a fish happened before I knew her and his turning Dean into a tree is something he and Dean will have to work out in their own time, but for what he gave us, we owe him at least the opportunity to get free of the Firstborn in his life. And if that means marrying him to keep him in the Undersea, then that’s what we’ll do.”

She leaves out the fact that Simon has always had a part of Patrick’s heart that she could never touch. She leaves out that this marriage has always had three people in it; this is simply the first time it’s been legally declared. That she loves Simon too, maybe not in the same way that Patrick does, but she feels it’s only fair to help him find that frivolous, charming man she met all those years ago.

Peter still doesn’t seem happy. “I will not call him Dad.”

“Fair enough, he’s not your father.”

“And I’m not going to forgive him for what he did to Dean.”

“Also fair.”

Peter takes a deep breath. “But I will be nice to him. For Dad’s sake.”

Dianda smiles, and she nods. “That’s all we ask of you. And don’t be mean to August, either. None of this is her fault.”

“Does this make her my sister?” There’s a pause as he does more lineage math, and his face brightens. “Does this make Toby my sister?”

Dianda laughs. “You’ll have to ask her that the next time you see her. As for August, that’s up to her and you. She probably has a lot to learn about the Undersea. She could use a guide.” Never mind that she likely has a lot to unlearn from what Amandine taught her.

Peter nods. “I can do that.”

“Good.” She hopes, for now, that it’s enough.

The Star

Even as the days pass, even knowing they’re married, Patrick often can’t believe that Simon is here. His Simon, not the monster their First turned him into. It’s still taking some time to peel back the layers, but when he comes to Simon’s rooms that night, mostly to see how he and August are settling in, he finds Simon mostly moved in—not that he had much to move—and staring out the window into the water, more contemplative than calculating.

“Is everything to your liking?”

Simon blinks before turning to face him with a wry smile. “I feel like I have said more words than your entire Duchy has heard in months in the brief time I’ve been here. Helmi and the others are very … laconic?”

Patrick laughs before moving closer. “I’m sure part of it is also their being not so sure what to make of you.”

“Maybe.” Simon takes him in, and Patrick can tell he’s having some of the same thoughts. That he can’t believe he’s truly here and that the nightmare is over in a lot of ways. “I’m not even sure what to make of myself most of the time.”

Patrick sits on the couch next to him, reaching for his hand and pulling him closer. “You have time to figure that out. There is no rush.” As much as he wants to explore all the things they had denied themselves for so long, they have all the time in the world.

Simon looks down at their joined hands, musing, before inching closer so they are pressed side to side. “There is a lot that’s happened that we haven’t shared with each other.”

Patrick nods. “On both sides, I’m sure.”

“You may not like some of mine. I don’t wish for you to see me differently.”

Patrick tips his head to the side before nodding. “I know who our Firstborn is, Simon. I know how she likes to use people. If there’s anything you want to unburden, I can bear it. We’ll get through it together.”

Simon nods as well before shifting to lean comfortably against him. Patrick takes his weight easily, running a hand through Simon’s hair as he keeps him close. “Can we start with you telling me more about the Duchy? What’s expected of us as consorts?”

Patrick nods and holds him close. “I can do that.”

Courtly manners for now. For a first step, it’s a step in the right direction.