Running Close to the Wind

by Alexandra Rowland

Have beseeched Markefa to prevent me from fucking Avra again at all costs. Received the distinct impression M thought this was incredibly funny. Explained that this was a serious matter and that as her captain I require her compliance/cooperation. M refused, cited that it was “not her job.” Be that as it may, if M does not prevent me from fucking A again, then it is ultimately her fault when I do. A engaged in a behavior that seemed at first glance to be “consideration for my feelings” but I know he was doing it on purpose to entice me. Nearly kissed him in the starlight. who does that??????????? what have I become

(J insists on having his stupid oath of stupid celibacy, but also goes around using a sex voice at A to compel obedience via?hypnotism??????? Def some kind of spooky fucking witchcraft. V inconsiderate behavior. Wish he would refrain from this where I have to see it and be horny about it for the rest of eternity. Do not care if he’s doing it to A elsewhere; actually deeply vindicated that A is likewise having to be horny about it for eternity.)

Lost Inventory: 1 dog (glowing) Added Inventory: 1 dog (glowing), 1 dog (not glowing)

Inventory update: 1 dog (glowing), 1 dog (also glowing) WHAT THE FUCK JULIAN.

Considering forbidding him from being smart and scholarly in front of me. Far too handsome when he’s pleased w/ himself & gripped by thrill of scientific inquiry or whatever. Am going to be forced by circumstances outside my control to fuck Avra again just to work off some steam, can already tell. Ugh I want to lick J’s brain

“An unpicky slut,” Avra said, suddenly choked up. “That’s one of the most beautiful things a person can be.”

“I am a poet, Julian, of course I am crying!” Avra wailed. “A poet’s whole job is to celebrate sluts and cry about beautiful things coming to tragic, untimely ends!” “Ah,” said Julian solemnly. “Of course.”

“They’re dogs and they glow,” Teveri said briskly.

“Apparently they are very good dogs. I have overheard many of my crew saying so in absurd voices.

“Do I look like a fucking naturalist? Do we look like any of us know why things glow? Sometimes things just glow. The moons glow. Maybe they’re magic moon dogs or some shit.”

having wild mediocre sex with Teveri,

this is actually so sad esp bc i think tev does not agree????

and people who were growing zucchini snuck around in the dead of night and left unsolicited bags of them on people’s doorsteps.

Everyone would know the ambassador and his staff by sight, of course. Avra was not at all surprised that they were excluded from the vegetable network, and only mildly surprised that they were excluded even from the guerilla zucchini delivery list.

If illicit information from the Shipbuilder’s Guild were to be sold, would you stand to profit from it?” Avra burst out laughing so hard he nearly fell face-first into his bread and cheese. He covered his face with his hands and slumped back in the chair, giggling helplessly. His fucking luck.

i love this sm

He doesn’t just want to fuck you through the mattress, he wants to hold your hand in the moonlight.” Avra chose not to mention the fact that Julian had already held his hand in the moonlight.

I deal with dicks all day, and then on my days off, I often want to put my feet up and not deal with any more dicks, even if they’re attached to people I love. Which is a shame, because those are the dicks I like best.” “Ah,” said Avra sagely, handing the remarkably small salami to Cat. “The dangers of making one’s hobby into a career.”

“You like fuck poems.”

But it was cake competition day, and the cake competition was a different beast.

“Teveri told me to look after you today, which I would have already done, because you don’t know about the cake competition and that’s a good way to get physically injured or killed.” Julian raised his eyebrows. “Apparently I know far less about this cake competition than I was assuming.”

“Can seagulls go to war?” Julian mused. “Yes,” said Avra and everyone in earshot.

“The seagulls, being creatures of pure evil and insatiable, ravening greed, had learned that cakes were for eating.

so I will take this opportunity to speak about the most important thing that I’d like you all to remember, namely that Xing Fe Hua once kissed me full on the mouth in front of the gods and everyone.’”

“The theme we set them is, of course … the security breach at the Araşti Shipbuilder’s Guild in Kasaba City earlier this spring!”

“Good morning, Ambassador Turtle-fucker!” someone called cheerfully.

“I am,” said Julian, smiling. “For the moment.” Witness Amita raised an impossibly elegant eyebrow. “For the moment?” “I am reflecting on the direction of my life and asking the Emperor of Heaven to send me some hint that might suggest my course.”

oop!!!!

“Oh,” said Julian. “You’re right, I didn’t. My apologies. I’m reconsidering my vow of celibacy and whether I want to keep it.”

SMIRKING SO HARD

“Mrhghgm,” said Avra, comprehensively failing not to be horny about it.

‘Heck those—those guys.’ But fancy.”

the more inclined I am to say fuck the vow, pun absolutely intended.”

Sane is…” He waved to his own face. “One of those things you wear to a masked ball.” “… A mask?”

“Why is he here? Why is he wearing a bunch of potato sacks?” “Because turtles think they’re sexy, Tev,” Avra said soothingly.

and all you can say is that I was vaguely rude to you and you’re vewy vewy mad about it.

“I am attempting to understand your methods,” said Baltakan, the man wearing some potato sacks and calling it a disguise.

“We are allowed to express appreciation for other crews nailing a seagull in a particularly impressive way. The seagulls are the real enemy of the competition, and we must be united against them. Well done, Captain Dallah!”

sailing closer to the wind

that’s almost the thing

and Avra Helvaçi was once so wildly in love with Teveri az-Ḥaffār that he gave them the mainsail of the Nightingale—

What does ‘stop my mouth’ mean?” “It means I would kiss you to make you shut up.” “Classic,” squeaked Avra. “Classic. Classic. A classic.”

“Randomly selected,” Avra said faintly. “Hm.”

“Getting dragged a lot of places today,” Avra said. “And hardly anyone is following through on the implicit promise and shoving me up against a wall.”

“But having too much money does too. It sucks your soul dry, eventually.

and slipped an arm around their waist. “Then you can come live with me in my little rotting crate in the alley and fend off the possums from every crumb of stale bread that Julian wraps around a rock and kicks at us, because he’s too selfish to take his shirt off when he’s rowing.”

“I see I am being cast as the villain now,” said Julian, smiling and smiling and smiling. “Congratulations on your promotion to pathetic and tragic protagonist of a morality fable.