It is Sunday afternoon, and we are walking up the path of a house just three doors down from ours.

We are visiting the Martins. Jean and Alicia, and their adopted daughter Salla - or Sally as she prefers.

I ring the bell.

A dark haired lady answers the door, "'Ello. You are the 'Ampsteds?" She has a quite strong French accent.
"Almost, I'm Toby Allensdale - and this is my wife Charlotte Hampstead. But please, just Charlie and Toby."
"Salla says we need to talk? Is this about 'er biological parents?"
"In part. Can we come in?" Charlie says, taking over.
"Of course." And with that we are shown into a pleasant lounge room, where a brown haired man and Sally are sitting.
"Jean? This is Toby and Charlie. The people Salla visited this morning."
He frowns, and gets up "Hello. Why has our daughter decided to seek out a pair of complete strangers?" His accent is almost non-existent.
My turn. "Actually, that is something we would like to know, too Sally. How did you hear about Charlie?"
That shifts Jean's attention, and replaces his hostility with confusion.

Sally blushes - her embarrassment threshold looks to be low even for a teenager. "Um, there was this kid in first year. He came up to me a few days ago and said that there was someone who could help me. And gave me their address."
Charlie and I look at each other. "Gavin" we say together.

"'Elp you? But what is wrong?" Alicia is getting worried now, while Martin is looking even more puzzled.
He cuts in "And why these strangers and not us?"

Charlie takes over now "It is to do with her biological parentage. Have you ever had something unexplained happen around Sally?"

Martin scoffs "You sound like something from some fantasy book. What? Is she a witch?"

Charlie grins her brightest smile "No, she is not a witch. I am, though. Tell me, does Sally like practical jokes?"
"Oui" replies Alicia, "But what does that have to do with anything?"
"Well, as you know at least one of Sally's bio-parents was of Japanese descent."
"Oui..."
"But what you did not know was that the mother was not an ordinary human. Sally, can you change please?"

Sally starts to object "But...", only for Charlie to give her a Look. There is nothing magic in it, just a lot of stern. "OK."
And then there is a fox standing in her place, three tails almost tucked in.

There is a silence. Then Alicia reaches out and holds her hand near. Sally licks it, and whines. With that the fox is gathered into a hug by her mother and there is a stream of French that I cannot keep up with. After a few moments Jean joins in, and then Sally changes back.

He turns to us again "But why seek you out? And what is our daughter?" Tellingly, he has not released the hug.

Charlie smiles softly. "I can help train her a little, and maybe help find some other kitsune to help her out. And give advice about being a bit more different than most."

#CharlieAndToby #SF #SFF #UrbanFantasy #microfiction #tootfic #microfic #IAmWriting

It is early in the morning on Sunday, and I am opening the back door to see if there are any ripe lemons on the tree.

Instead I almost tread on a fox. Curled up and asleep.

Now, you have to understand that ever since Europeans settled here, we have had Japanese immigrants as well. Some by choice, some ... less so.

This is why I am not too surprised to see that the fox has three tails. My opening the door has not awakened it, so I step over and continue on to the lemon tree. There are two ripe lemons this morning, which suits me just fine.

I have another look at the fox on the way back, just to make sure, but there is no sign of any injury. I step over again, and leave the screen door ajar.

Charlie is still asleep upstairs as I start putting breakfast together. I am cooking pancakes, and I know the smell of them will wake her up. Eventually.

I'm on the fourth one when I feel a nose in the back of my knee. I look down at the fox, and nod towards the crockery cabinet. "Can you get some plates out please? The medium ones." I ask.

The fox looks at the cabinet, back at me, back to the cabinet, and sneezes. The young woman standing in its place sticks her tongue out at me "You're no fun" she says in a broad accent.

"I'm Toby, Charlie's husband. A kitsune is fairly normal by my standards. Now, do you want bacon on your pancakes?"

"Sally. Your wife, Charlie? She's the witch?"

"Yep. What's the problem?" As I speak, I put some bacon on as well.

"Um, I need some help finding Mum."

"She's missing?"

"Yes? No? Sort of? I was adopted. And, well, I had no idea what I was until a year ago."

"Are you in trouble?"

"No, but I don't know what I should do. I um, I like this guy back home, but there's also my best friend, and they don't know about me and I don't know what to do."

The last came out with a bit of a whine, and she blushed, clearly embarrassed by it all.

I smiled a sympathetic smile "OK, I'll get Charlie, and let's get you sorted. If I know how these things go, it will not be too bad. But first, breakfast. Tea or coffee?"

"Um, do you have hot chocolate?"

"Of course." Plus the smell of chocolate will get Charlie down here even quicker than the coffee and pancakes.

#CharlieAndToby #SF #SFF #UrbanFantasy #microfiction #tootfic #microfic #IAmWriting

I was sitting on the bank of a river watching the mist, when a football suddenly splashed into the water just in front of me. The spray got me, so it had clearly come from the river direction.

"Your ball's over here!" I yelled into the mist. No answer. So after a few moments I threw it back into the mist, as hard as I could.

I heard it hit the water with a splash, and then there was a much larger splash, followed by several more. A few seconds later the ball came sailing back. This time I caught it.

Studying it, it looked like it had been floating in the water a while, with a smear of algae on one side. I threw it back again. Again the splash of the ball and then other louder splashes. The ball came back again.

I kept this up for a while, but then my arm got tired, and I sat down.

Looking into the mist, I thought I saw something, but then nothing - just the curling wisps.

Then, right in front of me, a tall neck rose out of the river, a small head on top of it looked down at me, and then the neck bent down until the head was level with mine. It looked at the ball, then out to the river, and then at me. And did it again.

I shook my head. "Sorry, I'm tuckered out."

After a few moments the neck slid back into the water until just the head was showing, resting on the bank, staring at the ball.

I rolled it down the bank to it, and it headbutted it back to me. It was content to play like this for a while. Then I heard a fishing boat chugging downstream.

The creature grabbed the ball, and vanished underwater.

After a few minutes, I got up and walked back to the B&B we were staying at.

As I walked in, Charlie looked up from her book. "How was the River Ness?"

"Misty, and living up to its name."

Charlie raised an elegant eyebrow at me.

"I played fetch with the monster for a while. It has a soccer ball."

Charlie got up and sniffed me, then traced a couple of runes on my forehead.

"Huh."

"Told you."

She shook her head "Yes, you did my love. You did. But I was not going to rule out you having me on."

"Fair. How about we go into town for breakfast?"

"That sounds lovely."

#CharlieAndToby #SF #SFF #UrbanFantasy #Nessie #microfiction #tootfic #microfic #IAmWriting

Despite all the tourist literature, the original stories have the monster in the river, not the loch.

A travelling zoo and circus has arrived in town, and Charlie and I are having a look around.

Entry into the whole thing was pretty reasonable, but you can see where they really make their money - the snack vendors, the side show games, the usual carnival stuff. The zoo side of things is covered by the entry, as is the big top.

We are wandering around the zoo exhibits, when Charlie stops and frowns. Then she drags me back to the start "Toby," she hisses "take a closer look."

So we start over looking at the animals. It does not take me long to spot what is wrong. And the exhibits have noticed that we're noticed. This could get awkward.

One of the security guards comes over to us "Is there a problem?" she asks. Charlie looks her up and down, and whispers "We understand."

This does not reassure the guard, who reaches for Charlie, and then flinches, shaking her hand. My love has ways of making sure no-one ever touches her without permission. The guard, "Sal" according to her badge, looks at her hand, and then back at Charlie. "Shit. Ok, I gotta take you to the Boss."

Charlie smiles like there is nothing better she'd like to do (which is probably true) and we go to one of the smallest caravans in the convoy. Sal knocks, and says "Boss? I've got a couple of special visitors you need to see."

I can't hear the reply, but the door opens and Sal ushers us in. Inside is a very mundane office. A couple of laptops with extra screens, laser printer, and two people working at desks. One of them, a man in his fifties maybe, points to the chairs opposite him.

He barks out "OK, you've scared Sal. Who are ya? What ya want?"

Charlie takes the lead. "Nothing, I just noticed that all the enclosure locks are on the inside. I'm guessing those people get a cut of the entry ticket?"

"Ya know about them folk. Ya gunna cause trouble?"

I speak up "Nah, I work with a dryad, and we have a werewolf over for games every Thursday."

The boss looks at me "A dryad. That's a myth. They don't exist."

"This one does. Her mum made her."

His eyes widen, then narrow "Ya reckon she'd like ta travel?"

"No, sorry, you might say that she'd put down roots."

"Bugga. Well, had ta ask." He looks at Charlie "You a witch?" Charlie nods. "Right then," and he rummages in a draw pulling out a couple of wrist bands, "put these on."

"And what are they?" Charlie's voice is velvet over ice.

"Nothin like that. All area passes. Ya can even go backstage if ya like. Gotta stay friendly with the local authorities."

Charlie takes the bands, inspects them, and then hands one to me.

Her tone softens "Thank-you. We will return them when we leave."

"Hang onto 'em, we'll be back in a cupla years."

And with that we're shown out. Now we get to have the fun of a chat with the performers in the cages after closing. I guess it is a way of making money out of your talents. I wonder which one is Sal's partner.

#SF #SFF #UrbanFantasy #CharlieAndToby #microfiction #microfic #tootfic #IAmWriting

I'm sitting on the loungeroom floor, trying to work out the geometry of how my new office chair fits together. The instructions, such as they are, appear to be a sixth generation mimeograph of the original which was written in a combination of Finnish and Spanish. And that's the 'English' version. My Cantonese is not great, but that version makes even less sense. Whoever wrote the original, as far as I can tell, had no human language as their native tongue. Which, given who I have met through Charlie, is entirely possible.

The front door bangs open, and Charlie comes in, and flops onto the couch. After a moment, she sticks out her hand.

I get up, and get out a wine glass. She shakes her head. I get out a shot glass, and she shakes her head. So I get out a tumbler, and mix the the unholy terror she calls a drink.

A Santorini is two shots of sweet vermouth, a shot of Scotch, and a quarter shot (or in Charlie's case, a full shot) of Ouzo. All over ice, with a bit of orange zest.

She takes a generous sip of it, and sits back.

"It went badly then?" I ask gently.
"I should have asked what they were arguing about."
She's talking about the parents and aunt of our late night visitor - a kid called Gavin Jones, who apparently needs to be taught how to be a witch.
"Huh?" is my intelligent response.
"They were arguing about who should teach him. His mum is Korean, and his dad is from one of the local families. And I'm neither."
"So no student?"
"No, I'll cover the basics to get him grounded, but the serious stuff will be taken care of by both sides. I convinced them that that was the best option."
"Both sides?"
"Mum is getting an old scholar to come across from Seoul, and Dad is getting one of the local elders. I got them to agree to alternating lessons."
"How's Gavin with this?"
"Surprisingly OK. I did explain to him that there is no one true way, and what works, works. He's not so keen on two sets of extra homework."
"And for now?"
"I've given him a couple of basic exercises, and I'll go over there on Tuesdays and Thursdays after school for a few weeks to get him settled."
I frown "That all sounds pretty orderly. So why the drink?"
"That was the bit that I should have asked about. Their house is haunted. Aunt Margaret has been dead for about a hundred and ten years. And she has strong opinions."

#SF #SFF #microfic #tootfic #microfiction #IAmWriting #CharlieAndToby #UrbanFantasy

Charlie and I are cuddling on the couch, taking in an old Toho Kaiju movie.This is the third one in a row. I grew up on these, and Charlie has a soft spot for Mothra (who wouldn't?), so we're doing a Mothra Marathon. We've got some friends around - Candice, her daughter Anthea, and Anthea's girlfriend, Nicola. And let's be honest, we might as well have a couple of robots with us - we are riffing away like old pros.

It is nearly midnight, and the Twins are just starting their song to call Mothra, when there's a tapping at the door. Now I want you to understand that, while Charlie has many tomes of ancient lore, she is in no way weak, weary, nor do we have a bust of Pallas anywhere in the house. Just to be clear on this. But a raven calling would not be out of the question.

We do a quick rock-paper-scissors, which I lose, so I get up to answer the door. To my amazement, there is not a raven, but a boy. A young teenager. He looks well fed, there are no obvious injuries, and he seems anxious rather than scared.

"Hi?" I open.
"Um... Does, er, Charlie live here?" he asks.
"Yes, are you in some trouble?"
"Uh, no. It is just that, well, my aunty said that I needed someone to teach me, and that Charlie was the best person in town. She and my folks had a big fight about it. Oh, I'm Gavin. Gavin Jones."
"You'd better come in then. Charlie? Hit pause, please."

Gavin was clearly expecting someone else, because he looks around at everyone, and back at me.
"Nope, I'm Toby. Charlie is my wife," I point to her, "This is Gavin Jones. His aunty wants you to teach him."

Charlie looks at him, and I can tell that she's not just using her eyes. She blinks slowly, and lets out deep breath. "I see. I am Charlotte Hampstead. I think you had best just call me Ms Hampstead," Charlie says with her stern voice.

The kid is a bit startled by this, gulps, and shakily replies "Yes Ms Hampstead."
"Now, do your parents know you're here?"
"No Ms Hampstead. They had a fight with Aunty Margaret about me learning from you."
"Where do you live?"
"Just two streets over, number 12 on Short."
"Right then. You are going straight home before someone notices you're missing. Are your parents going to be home tomorrow?"
He's staring now. "Uh, yeah, I guess?"
"Right. I will call in around 2pm. I'll tell them your aunt sent me."
"Okay?" he says as a question, more than acknowledgement. Charlie looks at him. "I mean, yes, Ms Hampstead!" he corrects.

Charlie smiles, "Take care to go straight home, now. Toby will see you out."

I come back having seen the kid off. "So you're going to teach him?"
"I have to. He's like an over-full gas cylinder right now."
"And his folks?"
"I'll explain, in detail, what will happen if he's not taught. They'll agree. Now get back over here. I want to hear The Twins."
That's when Nicola asks "Do you have a working with children permit?"
Charlie swears.

#SF #SFF #microfic #tootfic #microfiction #CharlieAndToby #IAmWriting

It is that time of year again, and we are cooking up a storm. Between the folks at the office, and all the friends we've made through Charlie's work - not to mention her extended family - we would be beggared if we tried to buy everyone gifts.

So, instead, we do this. I take a week off, and we can, jam, bake, and all the rest. Of course it is not as simple as it might be for some people.

We have to account for obligate carnivores, photosynthesisers, and a dozen or more other weird and wonderful metabolisms. The silicavores are especially exciting to cook for!

Fortunately, Charlie, while not one of natures great cooks, is very, very good at preserving and transmutation spells. And, for the silicavores, we do enlist some outside help in the form of a medusa we know.

So we have jars, and cans, and baking trays everywhere this week. And there's a knock at the door.

I go over, check the peephole, and see that it isn't Xyllia this time (that's the medusa - I had a bit of an accident with her once). I open the door to a young lady. She's completely human. How do I know? I've met her before.

"Hi Nicola! What's up?"
"Hello ... um, I need a bit of help."
"What with?"
"What do I get Candice and her partner for Christmas?"

Candice is her girlfriend's, Anthea, mum. Her partner is a telepathic intelligent plant. Who is sort of Anthea's dadmumthing.

I think fast. "OK, Candice is easy - get her a bookshop voucher. She loves to read. As for her partner... Umm"

Fortunately for me Charlie's been listening in from the kitchen. "Just get it a bag of blood and bone. It'll appreciate it," she calls out.

Nicola looks doubtful.

"Hey, if Charlie says that's a good gift, it is a good gift. Although I suppose you could just go with a large dead animal of some kind. A bag of blood and bone is easier."

She still looks a little doubtful, but nods. "Ok, Toby," and she calls out "Thank-you Charlie."

Charlie calls back "No problem,oh, and you're both invited to the party on the 29th."

"I'll remind Anthea. Bye!"

Just another day in the lead up to Christmas for us.

#SF #SFF #Fantasy #microfic #tootfic #microfiction #CharlieAndToby #IAmWriting

It's 2pm on a Wednesday, and my front doorbell is ringing. I know Charlie isn't home, because she's got a job down South this week. There's a pooka that came in following a cargo ship, and is making a pest of itself because it can't find its usual food.

Anyway, I check the camera, and there's a harpy at the door. She does not look happy. I mean, it can be hard to tell with harpies - the shape of their faces makes them look permanently angry, but this one looks sad.

I toggle the mic. "Hi there. Toby here. I'm at work right now, and Charlie's down South. If you wait around the back..."

But she's gone.

I hope she comes back, she looked like she needs help.

I'm just settling down when there is a "thump" from outside my fifth-floor window. I look out, and there's the harpy. HR are going to love this.

I point to the left, sign out of my laptop, and head over to the balcony outside our level's lunch room.

The harpy is waiting for me, perched on one of the benches.

"Hi there, Perinod isn't it?"

"Yes, hello, Toby. I need your help."

"OK, what's the problem?"

"I need money."

This is not what I was expecting. "Money?" Most supernaturals don't need money - or can fake being human enough not to raise questions too much while holding down a job.

"Yes. I need," she consults the top of her foot, "two thousand three hundred and eighty dollars."

OK, something was really not right here. "What do you need it for?"

"I need it for Piper."

Piper is her partner. They are an EMT, so this is getting really strange. "Why does Piper need two and a half thousand dollars?"

"They don't need it. I need it for them." Perinod says, almost as if explaining to a small child.

"I'm sorry, what?"

"I need it to get to buy something for Piper."

"That is a very specific price."

"It is something very specific."

Now I am not the brightest bulb on the tree sometimes, but the light finally starts to dawn.

"You want to buy them a ring?"

"Yes. I've decided I'm done waiting. I'm going to propose to them."

"And for that you need a ring. Right."

At this point the door to the balcony opens and Mike, one of my team-mates comes out. "Toby, we have a situa - what?" He stares at the naked-breasted bird lady.

"I'll be in in a minute, Mike. Don't stare, it's rude." Mike's brain finally caught up with him and he turned around.

"Uh, OK. It is a Sev 2, and we kind of need you."

"OK. Perinod?"

"Toby."

"I think I can help you out. Can you come by the house at sunset, please?"

She hesitates, and looks over to where Mike is waiting "Very well. Sunset" and she leaps over the edge of the balcony.

I shake my head, and go in to see what is broken. And to figure out how a harpy can raise two and half grand. I mean I could give it to her, but that would not sit right with either of us. What can a harpy do for me that is worth that much?

#SF #SFF #CharlieAndToby #microfiction #microfic #tootfic #IAmWriting

I am not much of a hardware guy, but I can still drive a soldering iron and follow instructions.

So when Charlie asked me to make a keyboard, I said "OK". Especially when she explained what for.

So here I am. I've got a pretty generic keyboard kit that I'm hacking. I'm running cables from where the keys would be soldered in to a bunch of 50mm SPSTMA switches that I've punched into a sheet of stainless steel. The whole thing is going to be over a metre across. Once I've finished wiring it all up, I'll fit a arcade-style joystick at the right-hand end, and mount it all in an old 20mm shell ammo box I got from a surplus store.

A bit of silicone on the joystick knob and on the switch tops, and it'll be done.

Then we can drive up to the hills and deliver it, along with a 100 inch TV as a monitor. They've already got a PC and 5G set up.

Keep an eye out for DragonRose once she gets an account here, OK? She's a real deep thinker.

#SF #SFF #UrbanFantasy #CharlieAndToby #Microfiction #Tootfic #Microfic #IAmWriting #Dragon