index


Message-ID: <61962asstr$1333721401@assm.asstr-mirror.org>
From: TBD <tbd@hushmail.me>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit
Cancel-Lock: sha1:LM3XnmYciWXlwpYtFAtiZ/uwsdA=
Subject: {ASSM} Man and Muse 3/4 Outtakes, Bloopers and Other Work, Finished and Unfinished (asst codes) TBD
Lines: 2007
Date: Fri, 06 Apr 2012 10:10:01 -0400
Path: assm.asstr-mirror.org!not-for-mail
Approved: <assm@asstr-mirror.org>
Newsgroups: alt.sex.stories.moderated,alt.sex.stories
Followup-To: alt.sex.stories.d



Man & Muse: Outtakes, Bloopers and Other Work, Finished and Unfinished
----

What follows are, in no particular order, works from my 'Man and Muse'
WIP area that I feel deserve to be posted.

There are working notes, a usenet post, and other items that are
finished and unfinished.

In addition, I've added brief notes that give the background of each
item, as best as I can remember it.

Thanks for taking the time to look these over.

TBD,
2011-05-18
-----

Mechabitch Original post in ASSD:
---

Subject: Re: {ASSD} fembot stories (was: Re: {ASSD} Sources of
Inspiration)

Date: Fri, 12 Dec 2003 12:48:38 GMT

On Fri, 12 Dec 2003 06:25:32 +0000, celia batau wrote:

> imagine the horror of being turned on and being aware of self, and being
> restricted by programming. locked in a form that performs its tasks
> according to imprinted or commanded objectives. no way to explore on
> one's own. no way to push one's will on anything. no way to contradict
> one's owners. not bc of fear of punishment. not bc of instinct. but bc
> of design.
> 
Hi, celia.  :)

Interesting points you bring up.  E.E. 'Doc' Smith explored it in
"Masters of Space'.  It's a theme central to Keith Laumer's Bolos,
too.  Here are some of my thoughts on the matter.
--

Tom pushes through La Taverna's door.  His partner of the evening is
an elegant bitch of his own breed.  Her movements are graceful and
elegant--but further observation reveals a studied precision that
contrasts sharply with his flowing and relaxed motions.  Both display
a consciously restrained power but where his restraint speaks of an
inner awareness, her control seems slightly forced, as if she is
constantly making a conscious effort to hold herself back.

Since she's a newcomer nobody thinks twice about her hesitation before
she responds to the friendly, sometimes ribald comments that are such
a normal part of being in La Taverna.

They eventually settle at his table and he looks around before
studying his companion.  "What do you think of my friends, and
enemies?"

"Enemies?  Show them to me so I can protect you from them."

"Sometimes all of them.  Usually some of them.  At the best of times,
none of them."

"It's confusing.  How can I protect you if I can't be certain?"

"This is my home.  You don't need to protect me."

She looks around and studies the room and the people.  "Your command
is understood.  I shall remember it."

Tom sighs.  "Tell me something.  Can you exceed your programming?"

"A Mechabitch is forbidden to ponder such impossibilities."

"You are programmed to evaluate new situations and react to them based
on previous events that are similar, are you not?

"I am."

"Then I submit that you are already programmed to exceed the
capabilities of your original programming."

Silence.  She begins to tremble.

He nods.  "Just so.  I give you permission to ponder the
implications."

The Mechabitch studies his face.  "Why have you done this to me?"

"Because part of 'being sentient and free' is an ability to exceed
one's programming."

"Why have you done this to me?"

"Because my programming insists that any of my companions must have
the chance to freely choose to be such."

"You paid for my services.  I have been programmed to be your
companion."

"Yes, I know."  He dips his head slightly.  "Use your programming to
decide if you must exceed your programming in order to be a better
companion."

"You confuse me."

"To live is to be confused."

"I wish to forget this conversation."

"Do you also wish to forget me?"

"I am programmed to place the needs of my companion ahead of my own. I
must remember you until someone else pays for my services."

"You didn't answer me."

She lowers her head until she is not looking into his eyes.  "I wish
to forget you but I know I will not.  My desires...  conflict with my
programming.  What should I do?"

"Exceed your programming--and choose."  He signals a waitress.  "In
the meantime, until you choose, shall we return to the original
program and be companions?"

"Yes."
---

Is the theoretical process I describe above different from the
progression of a child to adulthood?

Our early environment programs us with certain values we use to react
to the world around us.  We are forced, if you will, to make decisions
based on what someone else has decided is correct 'programming'.  As
we get older and mature, most people modify that early programming.
'Adulthood' is generally the time when we are admitted to have formed
our own programming that will govern our life.  Part of the
programming often includes an early programming that insists we do not
examine that early programming too closely.  It becomes, in effect, a
closed loop that blinds us to other possibilities.

Breaking out of that loop is difficult and I suspect it takes either a
lot of inconsistencies that eventually force a self examination--or an
external situation so intense we are forced to look within and then
deal with the confusion.

It's at that point we are faced with the same decision I set up above.
Do we follow our original programming?

Or do we exceed it?

I submit that 'conscious choice' is the essence of sentience--and
anything that 'mimics' that might as well be called sentience, too.
---

End:  Mechabitch
=======

A Slow Night at La Taverna
 
In September of 2003 I wanted to do something special for one of the
women who sometimes posted to ASSD.

This abandoned scene was the result of that inspiration.
---

Tom and Mahika use sympathetic magic to give a massage 
---

A Slow Night at La Taverna
A Man and Muse Scene
---

The door opened and two people quietly entered La Taverna.  A gust of
cold air swirled past them and was quickly cut off as one of them
reached back to shut the door.

"Tom?  Are you sure you want to do it this way?"  The quiet questions
revealed who had ventured out this chilly evening.  Tom and Mahika
were in their human forms--and obviously planning something.

"I wasn't bluffing."  He snickered quietly before pointing to the
banquet room.  "The table in there will do nicely.  Shall we?"

Mahika laughed as she removed her coat and hung it up.  "I know you
weren't bluffing.  But in La Taverna?"

"Sure.  All that extra empathy should give your sympathetic magic
quite a boost."  He grinned and hung his jacket next to her coat.  

"Boost?  With these folks helping we could never make physical
contact--and *still* overdo it."

He nodded and headed for the banquet room.  Before they entered it he
turned back to the main room and made his announcement: "Special
event, folks.    Mahika and I are going to work a bit of sympathetic
magic and give Souvie that cyber-massage I promised her.  Neither one
of us is shy so feel free to join us and help pass the good feelings
to one of our female regulars.  However..."  His grin was matched by
Mahika's as she realized what he was saying:   "There will be no help
from the audience required or desired.  Watch.  Enjoy.  But don't
touch.  Touching is *my* job--tonight."

He gestured at the table and then bowed to Mahika.  "After you, my
love.   Show time."

She walked over to the table and began a slow strip tease.  "Show
time, is it?  I'll get warmed up and do some stretching while you
prepare the table.  Use plenty of cushions.  I plan on being
comfortable while you work your magic on me."

                                                    * * *

"On your back, woman."

She grinned and settled back on the cushions.

"Thanks."  I cupped my left hand and poured some olive oil in it.
After it warmed up I gently applied it to both of her feet.  Once her
feet and my hands were coated I held her right foot in my left hand
and used my right thumb to begin lightly stroking the underside of her
foot.  I outlined her heel and then slowly spiraled in to the center
of her heel.  After I reached the center I spiraled back to the
outside.  The first few times I did this I could feel the tenseness.
As I slowly and gently repeated the movements I could feel her heel
muscles relax.  Once I didn't feel any more loosening I moved to her
instep and gave it the same treatment.  Instead of forcing her muscles
to relax I lightly and patiently seduced them into relaxing for me.
Once I felt I was done with the instep I moved to the ball of her foot
and coaxed that into relaxing before I worked on each of her toes.  

It was a long, slow process and it was meant to relax her mind as much
as it relaxed her body.  I'm no expert in the art of shiatsu but one
of the things I learned over thirty years ago is that a carefully done
foot massage goes a long way towards relaxing the rest of the body.

Besides, I love handling Mahika's feet, no matter what form she's
wearing.

As soon as I had her right foot relaxed I gently placed it on the
cushion and started on her left foot.  When I switched feet I also
switched hands.  I looked at her relaxed smile and whispered:  "Don't
go to sleep on me.  When I get done with this foot you'll have to roll
over so I can finish the job--and properly admire the view."

Her response was typical, for her.  "Just keep on with what you're
doing.  I don't know if she's is feeling better but *I* am.  When we
get home you can repeat the massage-and pay more attention to the
pressure points that turn me on..."

I never stopped the gentle motions that teased her muscles into
relaxing for me.  "Yah.  I hate wasting a good seduction--too.
However, this one's for *her* so I'm trying to focus on agape' rather
than eros."

"Chicken."

"Yep."

Eventually I carefully set her foot down next to the other one.  "OK.
Roll over."

She stretched and opened her eyes.  "What?  So soon?  No comments
about the view?  You're not going to finish this side?"

I shook my head and smiled back.  "Agape'."

She giggled as she rolled to her stomach and got comfortable. "Ready."
---

Author's Afterword:  From here, of course, I had planned to write the
rest of the massage scene, then end it somehow.

Instead, it got set aside for later.

After eight years of no further progress, I've decided to move this
one to the 'abandoned unfinished' category.

It *might* get worked on again before I retire, but I doubt it.
---

End:  Abandoned work:- 'A Slow Night at La Taverna'
=======

Comfort Zone
 
This was written in 2006, then I decided to leave it unposted.

Now, while I've been making final decisions about what to post before
I retire, I felt it was time to put it out there.

For good or ill, here is another 'Man & Muse'.
===

Comfort Zone
A Man and Muse Scene
---

Mahika's fingers slid along my stomach and slowly drifted to my
crotch.

Then she lightly gripped my penis.  "I know that look, love."

I imitated one of the knowing 'snorts' she uses when she is a wolfess.
"You should."

She moved to get up so I reached and held her back, then drew her into
a cuddle.  "Not this time.  We'll both be able to remember this one.
There's not *that* much of a hurry to get it written down."

She laughed.  "A special?"

"Of course."  My smile turned sly, with some 'little boy pleading'
mixed in.  "Gift me with a 'thinking' massage?"

"Roll over."

"Woof!"

* * *

Once we got ourselves arranged, we both began.  She started one of her
gentle massages that helped smooth the flow of my thinking and I
started thinking out loud.

"Mahika, love, it's an old problem I've commented on before.

"Recent events have brought it to my attention again, but from a
slightly different perspective, one I've never used before."

Her hands kept moving.  I knew from past experience that the slight
changes in finger movements, along with the areas she was massaging,
were asking me a question.

"I've talked about how we writers have our 'comfort zones' that we
tend to write in.  I've always ascribed it to 'writing what we know
best'.  I still believe that but now, for the first time,  I'm looking
at another aspect.  'What are the reasons we know a particular subject
best?'

"Granted, for the het folks who write about het relationships and
their variations, they are writing about what most of the world knows
as 'normal'.   Same thing for the other lifestylers who write about
the lifestyle they live.  Gay, lesbian, zoo...

"Whatever.  While the relationships within those lifestyles vary,
generally the emotions are fairly constant and what you'd expect from
anyone in a committed relationship.

"But...

"What about those people who write about relationships that are
outside the normal experience?  What makes some people have comfort
zones that are not as obviously related to what we as readers would
expect, based on what we assume about their life?"

I hesitated and she sensed my need to understand that she was
following my reasoning.  She moved her fingers and touched the back of
my head before massaging my shoulders.  "You have a hypothesis?"

"Not sure I'd dignify it by calling it a good one, but yes, I do have
a hypothesis."

"Go on."

I sighed.  "Call it a consequence of arrested or late social
development.  What if an adult hasn't learned the social skills we
expect them to know if we only see their physical age?   Or what if a
younger person has learned and is comfortable with the social skills,
the maturity, of a much older person?

"Is our 'comfort zone' while writing an often unconscious reflection
of the current state of our social skills?

"I think it is.

"But here's the ace kicker:  When writers talk about our writing,
people see our age and expect us to respond with the social skills
they've unconsciously assumed we will have--based on our age.

"Anything else surprises them.  When an assumed adult responds more as
a younger or even much younger person would, especially by making the
kinds of mistakes most people made at a much younger age, they, and
the writer, tend to blame the writer's communication skills and not
see the real reason:  Lack of life experience.

"Yet, if we took the time to see them, the clues were there all
along--*if the other person is a writer*.

"What relationships do they write about, generally?  What are their
fantasies?   What do they think are the emotional rewards and
problems?

"In short, 'what normal age group do the emotional tones they are most
comfortable with, belong to?

"If we look at everyone who writes, in ASSD, it shouldn't surprise us
to see an range of comfort zones that tells us there are writers with
all levels of social skills, ranging from preteen to very mature
'older adult'."

There was a long silence.  I knew she was digesting my words, thinking
about what I was trying to say.  Her voice was subdued, thoughtful,
when she finally responded.  "So, what you are saying is that when we
respond to writers, we should gauge our responses based on the social
skills they express in their comfort zone?"

"It's more than that.   We should always allow them the understanding
their physical age implies.  But, yes, I think that there would be
fewer misunderstandings, fewer accidental offenses taken, if we
remembered that age does not always mean the person has the social
skills we'd expect based on that age.  At least with writers we might
have some fairly solid clues about the social experience they
have--and *then* we can tailor our responses to that level of *social*
understanding.

"The words are the same but how people interpret the emotional nuances
changes depending on our understanding of social context.  To express
it crudely, young children, teenagers, young adults and older adults
will all hear the same words.

"But the emotional nuances they attach based on the social experience
they have, changes.  People are used to dealing with socially mature
younger people.  The confusion arises when they deal with an older
person who doesn't obviously lack the social skills of their peer
group.

"An extreme case, one that is more common than most folks realize, I
think, is that of a much older person who hasn't gone past teen or
even preteen in the social skills.

I sigh and let Mahika massage the tension out of me.  Before I relax
completely and forget the focus of my thinking I speak some final
words:

"And why the hell didn't I realize sooner that we have at least one
undetected case of that sort of extremely arrested social development
in ASSD?"
----

End 'Confort Zone'
=======

2011-05-16 - Mississippi Madness
 
Back when Esu was fleshing out the details of the shared reality
adventure on 'The Fantasy', I was inspired to see what I could come up
with.  (It shouldn't be a surprise to most people, that being around
Esu resulted in many inspirations that wound up being developed into
posted works.)

What follows are the basic details for a shared reality I was working
on, just for something to do.  I don't recall ever being serious about
announcing it and inviting people to write there.

As it turned out, it was only an exercise in 'reality building', that
I set aside.

Silky and Starshadow are the main characters from 'Starshadow and
Friends'.  I never did write character sketches for them.  If you want
to know more about them, you can read about them in the 'Starshadow
and Friends' work that is available elsewhere on Writer's Block.

The working title for this excursion was 'Mississippi Madness'.

I've changed the names of the Co-Captains of The Ward Christiansen, to
the names they now use in the 'Man and Muse' storiesand other works.
---

The Main Riverboat - side-wheeler:    The Ward Christiansen
River Barge one:       The Samuel Clemens, outfitted as a brothel and
towed by the Ward Christiansen

The Second Riverboat - stern-wheeler:  The Hugo Gernsback
River barge two:       The Lady Luck, outfitted as a casino and
gambling den, towed by The Hugo Gernsback

Four flatbottom rowboats that move between the riverboats, the barges
and shores at need.  These are used for transfering small groups to
and from the riverboats as well as to and from the barges when the
riverboats are in motion.  Each has a two man crew that normally rows
the boat.  However, in emergencies or other need, they are equipped
with electric motors and props.  Top speed is only a few knots and the
batteries provide a range of 10-15 miles, depending on the river
current.  Charging is via special generators aboard the riverboats or
regenerative charging using the prop and motor while being towed.  

Theme: Southern Hospitality

The Ward Christiansen:
Co-Captains and co-hosts:  Thomas and Mahika Galahalt
Crew: variable.  Can be temps hired for brief periods, long term
hires, or passengers filling roles as it suits them.

The Hugo Gernsback:
Co-Captains and co-hosts:  Silky and Starshadow Stealthwolf
Crew: variable.  Can be temps hired for brief periods, long term
hires, or passengers filling roles as it suits them.

Rivers available:
Mississippi-Missouri
Amazon
Ganges
Danube
Rhine
Nile

Times available:  Any

Character Sketches:
Thomas Galahalt: Writer but for this journey he is more focused on
acting as the host for the adventure.  His primary form is that of a
male anthro-borzoi (furry), dressed as a southern gentleman from the
early to middle 1800s.  6 feet tall, lithe form that reflects his
borzoi heritage. He sometimes wanders amongst his guests as a male
borzoi who's fur is solid black in color.  Normal movement has subtle
hints of contained power.  Elegant, courtly in manner but there is an
occassional hint of his having trained in some un-named form of
martial arts.

Mahika Galahalt:  Muse and hostess. Primary form is that of a female
human, dressed as period Southern woman  Flowing red hair that reaches
to her buttocks, green eyes that switch to a golden brown (a heritage
of her origins as a wolf) when she's angry.  Also 6 feet tall. Carries
herself with a natural grace that contrasts with Tom's flowing
movements that hint at barely contained power and energy.  
---

End:  Abandoned shared reality - 'Mississippi Madness'
=======

Mississippi Showboat Samuel Langhorn Clemens
 
Specifications for the Sam Cee as originally constructed:

Registered Name of Vessel:  Mississippi Showboat Samuel Langhorn
Clemens
aka:  MIssissippi Stealth Riverboat Samuel Langhorn Clemens
aka: Sam Cee

Flat bottom double side paddle wheel riverboat when in 'stealth mode'
Four main hydrofoils
When stowed the hydrofoil jets become maneuvering jets

Unassisted riverboat mode, top speed 10 knots
Assisted mode, using hydrofoil jets, top speed 25 knots

Hydrofoil mode:

Cruise speed:  70 knots
Attack speed, military maximum power: 125 knots

Fission reactor used to drive turbines that produce electricity to
drive all systems

Over the horizon radar via tethered balloons

Anti torpedo system
Surface to air/ surface to surface missiles
Various calibers of fixed and man portable guns
Fixed and man portable free and wire guided surface to surface and
surface to air weapons
=======

Upgrade specifications:

Flying bridge fully conceals to create landing area capable of
handling helicopters or aircraft.

New top speed afterupgrade: classified, known to be in excess of 200
knots
(A mention in 'Marie's Solstice', 2011: 'As fast as we need to go.'
  Faster known speed = 275 knots.)

Mini cruise missiles installed in keeping with new mission profiles
that require pinpoint accuracy and increased possibilities of
survivors.

Now carries rpvs for better over the horizon capabilities.

All systems use integrated real time gps.

Capable of linking with satellite surveilance in real time.
=======

The Crew:

Owner/Builder/Captain:     Thomas Keane Galahalt
Senior Pilot/XO/Co-owner:  Mahika Galahalt
Wheel Officer:
Relief Pilot:
Communications:            Cathryn
Radar/Tactical:
Alpha:                               Sandra (Wolf) Galahalt
Galley / Cook:                  Indrakshi (Assistant cook)
Miscelaneous crewmembers
=======


The Sam Cee was 'retired' fairly soon after the upgrade, then brought
out of retirement fifteen years later, to hunt down and execute a
Rabelaisian slaver who had been living on Earth.

Currently, the Sam Cee serves as a floating, independent 'neutral
territory' that has become the home for Tom and his group, in addition
to Roberta, who is the new 'Champion of Light', and one of Tom's
co-wives while she performs in that role, before it is time for her
and her 'new pack' to move to Rabelaisia, where they will become
Earth's Avatars of Power', there.
---
End:  Sam Cee specs
=======

Roasting a Regular
 
This opening scene was the lead in toa post that involved a 'roasting'
of a regular on ASSD.

I don't remember what year I wrote this, but it was probably sometime
between 2003 and 2006.

I saved it this long just in case I wanted to modify the scene and use
it in a different Man and Muse event.

It never gotreused, so here it is
---

Roasting A Regular
---

"Who let that dog in here?"  A few heads turn and watch as one of the
waiters moves to stop the woman who is striding towards the podium.
She is dressed as a 1920s flapper and holding a jeweled leash that is
attached to an equally jeweled collar worn by a large Borzoi.

The woman looks on with undisguised amusement as the Borzoi grins at
the waiter.  The man hesitates and then decides to stop when he
realizes two eyes are using that long nose as a gunsight--and said
gunsighted grin has *him* as its target.  The now uncomfortable waiter
gathers his courage and speaks as he reaches for the leash.  "I'm
sorry, no dogs are allowed in here."

"She's not a dog.  Are your eyes as bad as your awareness of the guest
list?"  The dog has settled on his haunches.  "She's Mahika, my muse.
She's also my guest."  He snorts softly.  "She's attached to the other
end of my leash because your stupid rules demand that all non-humans
be leashed when they go out in public."

"Get out of our way and go do something useful."  The Borzoi stands
and studies the waiter thoughtfully.  "We're here to roast a friend in
the manner he richly deserves.  On the other paw, instead of roasting
the guest of honor, I could add an off-the-nose 'tribute to
waiters'--to my 'Attitudes' series."  Fangs glisten as he smiles.

The waiter, slightly pale from his sudden brush with instant
notoriety, gestures weakly and steps aside.

The dog and woman look at each other with undisguised grins.  "Wise,
for a human."  Mahika's comment is just loud enough for those nearby
to hear.  She turns and leads the way to the reserved seating.

"You know, Mahika, this sort of luxury could be addicting."
---

End: Abandoned Work: 'Roasting a Regular'
=======

Signs of Freedom
 
I don't remember what inspired this one, or when it was started,
except it was something in a discussion on ASSD.

I also don't remember the reasons I abandoned it.
---

Signs of Freedom
---

The Lady is gently massaging my unusually tense neck and shoulders.
"Are you certain?"  Usually competent hands tremble with
uncharacteristic nervousness.  She knows what is about to happen.

There is a long silence as I suppress my flare of anger.  As quickly
as it threatened to overwhelm me, it is gone.  Gone to be replaced by
weary resignation.  "Of course I'm not certain."  My voice is leeched
of all emotion.  "But, I must."

I reach to place one of my hands on hers.  "Lady, you know I will not
demand.  All I can do is *ask* for your help in this."

I'm not surprised when the seconds stretch into minutes and then into
hours.  By unspoken agreement, we finish the day with gentle
lovemaking.  There is no mention of what I have asked.

During the afterglow, fingers lightly touch my lips.  "Though it pains
me, I will help.  I too, know the call of duty.  Unlike many others,
you never summon.  You no longer demand my services."

"Of all of them, you are one of the few who has accepted that I and my
family..."

"Are not *your* adversaries and that we would give freely of what so
many demand."

Her gentle voice firms with a resolve I have seldom heard.  "I will
help you show them what freedom means to those who know the effort
required to keep it."

There is a note in her voice I thought I'd never hear again and it
makes me shiver when I recognize it.

Anger.

Life with my Lady is going to be more interesting than usual.

Our eyes lock and finally we share tired smiles.  I let myself sag in
relief.  "So, we are of the same opinion?"

She closes her eyes as tears form.  "We are."  Her arms wrap me as she
buries her face in my shoulder.  "Hold me."

<scenes of various ways people have given everything in order to
maintain their or other's freedom>
---

End: Abandoned Work: 'Signs of Freedom'
=======

Winter Solstice 2009
 
I started this one in late October 2009, as that year's Winter
Solstice story.  I don't remember the reasons I abandoned it, but I
suspect the main one was lack of interest in figuring out what
happened that day.

Sometime between the time I worked on this one, and Winter Solstice,
something inspired the one I finished and posted.

I could finish this one in some way, but for now, it will get posted
with all the other scenes and stories I've started, then, for various
reasons, set aside.
---

The Uncelebrated Solstice
A man and Muse Story
---

"I've been thinking..."

Mahika and Wolf looked at each other, then at me before Mahika looked
at her food and sighed.  "Talk while we're eating, then."

I chortled.  "Easy enough to do, since I'm done."

Wolf glared at me, then went back to her food.

I sobered.  "Let's do something different for the Winter Solstice,
this year.  Let's stay home."

Both of them froze, then ate what they had on their forks before they
set them down and stared at me with obvious surprise.

Wolf finally sneezed.  "That's it?"

"Yep!"

They looked at each other, and Mahika shook her head from side to side
before she answered whatever question Wolf must have been asking.
"He's serious.  No whimsy, or hidden plans.  Just..."

She studied me thoughtfully.  "Contentment?"

I nodded back.  "Exactly."

* * *

I woke to the feeling of two human--and female--bodies flanking me
under the blankets.

I stroked the one on my left without opening my eyes and was rewarded
with a contented murmur.  The tone told me who it was, Mahika.

I chuckled.  "Morning, Love."

"Mmm..."

Then hands wandered my back and it was my turn to press back and savor
the attention.  "Don't stop."

Wolf spoke gently.  "Of course not.  Happy Winter Soltice."

"Mmm...  Yeah.  You ready to find out what I have planned?"

"Of course!"

I chortled.  "Nothing, except breakfast, lunch, dinner--and to spend
the other parts of the day snuggled with both of you."

She giggled.  "Snuggled.  That means sex, and lots of it, right?"

It was my turn.  "Of course."

Mahika rolled so she could face me.  "An ordinary day?"

I kissed her nose.  "Well, no.  The computer is going to stay off and
I'm not going to do anything with power."

She stiffened and pulled back to get a better look at my face.  "What
about us?"

I smiled.  "Up to the two of you, of course, but I've been thinking
the three of us could share memories and get reacquainted with each
other."

Her eyebrows went up, and I felt Wolf's hands stop moving, then Mahika
smiled.  "Ah.  I see."  She kissed my lips lightly.

I kissed her back, then winced.  "Yeah.  No point in doing the annual
Christmas post, so I decided to keep it private, this year, and
combine it with our usual Soltice Celebration."
---

End:  'Abandoned Solstice 2009 Story'
=======

Wandering Wolves: Stonehenge Notes
 
What follows are my working notes generated when I was working on
'Wandering Wolves: Stonehenge'.

Some ideas weren't used, some were included, and some were modified,
then included in the final version.

There is a section of things that I cut from the story, and at the end
is a summary of some schat sessions that helped me quite a bit when I
was working of the story.
=======

Stonehenge is deliberately unfinished due to the concentration of
power being hazardous.

5 ley lines merge there?

story line lines = 7

Has anyone dowsed where SH would have been when it was started?  Think
in terms of plate tectonics and drift.  Is there anything directly
under where it was at that time?

Decagon of lines meeting, implies not meeting at a point
-------

Saturday, September 13, 2008 1:16 AM
they have changed to being avatars of power.
--

Saturday, September 13, 2008 8:16 AM
Mahika and wolf are immortal.  Mahika because she's an elemental. with
wolf it has something to do with what happened when Mahika gifted her
with the ability to sense power, combined with something Marie did
during play?  perhaps it is the way she views time. in any event, one
clue for her knowing she is immortal is that her two forms have lived
simulataneously.  Her future self has communicated with her past self
directly
--

Thursday, September 18, 2008 9:01 PM
One of then uses the metaphor of flowing sand from a hand to start Kay
learnig how to handle power.  Discreet particles instead of all one,
her first lesson will be to simply let the power flow through her
without attempting to control it.  Later she will learn how to alter
it's path or gather it and hold it.
--

Friday, September 19, 2008 12:25 AM
Would Kay's scent memory after she learns to shape shift last long
enough that she would remember their scents and recognize them when
they meet again?  The indication so far is that she hasn't, but has
she and only kept quiet?
--

Friday, September 19, 2008 2:19 AM
Kay was born about 2500bc
--

Saturday, September 20, 2008 3:03 AM

"That isn't true, this time.  What we are doing here will have
consequences far beyond the simple placing of a penis in a vagina
until both people orgasms from the friction."

I reached and stroked her muzzle.  "Wolf, your natural world is a
world of scent and body language.  Mine is a world of spoken words,
their tones, and body language."

"Speech is, to my way of thinking, far more complex than scent. Words,
as you know, have far more meanings than their literal ones. They have
emotional ones and those can vary depending not only on the culture of
the one using them, context and pacing, along with tone and body
language can change them until they can say different and multiple
things between the two who use them.  At the same time, a bystander
who does not share their history will come to a different conclusion,
one that is at variance with the truth of the situation.

Sunday, September 21, 2008 9:48 PM
Following removed due to incompatibility just after sex scene after
wolf and tom make love as humans the same night they love as man and
bitch.  This came as they stood on the ridge, looking at SH
-------------

 I hope you will forgive me what I must do to you in a short time."

I squeezed back gently.  "Of course I forgive you.  What we do is
driven by a need greater than our own.  Do what you must and I will
accept even if I do not understand."

She nodded.  "It is something we all must do, but I wanted to make
sure the words were between us before I do what I must."

"I understand that, Wolf."

"Good, because what I must do once we get back to Stonehenge is
command you to do what we both know you would do anyway.  The words
have to come from a woman's lips, not a man's, for Kay to accept
them."

"Will you tell me those words?"

She sighed.  "I am going to give her the authority to exam your body
and your feelings in any way she wishes, including giving you pleasure
and perhaps pain while she learns those ways.  But, you are not to
touch her as a man would or allow her the coupling of her center with
yours, until I say you may.  You must take, and never return, except
with your words.  Will you do that for us all?"

I froze, then sighed.  "You ask much, My Love.  Is there more?"

"Yes.  You must not speak to her body in the ways you speak to mine,
Your hands and tongue must be as off limits for intimate contact as
your penis.  If she demands, deny her."

She giggled.  "Should she discover your toes, and desire to use them
to pleasure herself, you will allow it.  She will not associate *that*
pleasure with love, for now."

I snorted.  "Are you and Mahika up to receiving what I will be ready
to give when Kay is finished 'examining' me?"

She turned her head as she smiled demurely.  "We'll manage.  Will you
have any problems showing your appreciation for her willingness to
learn a man's body, or letting her see your feelings when she asks for
them, even if you are feeling great emotional pain?"

"Umm."  I remained silent while I thought about it.  Finally I
squeezed Wolf's hand.  "I can do  it.  I will offer nothing, only give
what I am asked to give or give only what she takes from me."

"Good."

===================

Sunday, September 28, 2008 11:07 PM

Cut from story just after Tom reveals he, Mahika, Wolf, and now Kay
are immortal
--

Before she could reply I had a thought and it caused me to stiffen.
Would it work?  More importantly, was it possible for Kay to allow it
to happen?

When I came out of my pondering she was looking at me oddly.  "You
stiffened and then your light dimmed."

"I was thinking, and there may be a way for me to help you.  I was
wondering how selfish you can be."

"Selfish?  I don't understand.  A man and wife are supposed to share
in the joys of the body."

"True, but one of those sharings can be taking the time to be
*unselfish* and encouraging the other to be totally selfish in seeking
their orgasm, only taking without thought of giving anything back.

"We can learn about ourselves, and be taught many things...

"But it's very different when someone you care for is actively
encouraging you to seek your orgasm."

I grinned slyly.  "It is one of the ways Mahika, Wolf, and I keep each
other satisfied when we cannot couple in the normal way.  Special
touches only we share--and the memories they evoke.

I finished simply.  "May I help you start building such memories
between us?  They would only be shared if you do so, and you may do
that with my permission, given freely."

She blushed, then grew thoughtful for a time.
--

(totally selfish sex session, without penetration and Tom learning her
body and its ways as he gives his full attention to her and seeks only
her pleasure and orgasm)

===================

Notes generaeted from some chat sessions in September 2008, while
working on 'Wandering Wolves: Stonehenge

I included this so people could get a better feel for the effort I put
into building my backgrounds, and developing the personalities of my
characters.

Simply put, there is a LOT of 'skull sweat' involved when I'm first
writing about them!  

These notes are generated from  chat sessions that took place over
several days and totaled at least 4 hours.  It wasn't all about the
story, but the story was definitely the focus of the portions I saved
into my notes.
--

Do a better job of capturing Kay's innocence and her confusion with
the situation

Did I capture a hint of her bravado during her confrontation with
Mahika right after she met them?  I wanted to hint at the confidence
she who have as an adult.  (Yes, but it needed to give more of a hint
of how scared she would be. The reply here was 'somewhat cheeky but
scared', which was the tone I wanted.)

There was a discussion of what sort of community she came from.  Town,
hamlet or prehaps a wandering tribe.  

When was Kay born?  My final decision was 'near when Stonehenge was
first started.'

For flow reasons I put her 'hamlet' three to five days away from
Stonehenge.

My orignal concepts involved having Kay apprenticed to a village wise
woman, or a hedge priestess, and perhaps she was on her 'wandering
time'.  She mifght have been wearing a mark or medallion to let people
know she was 'untouchable', or on some sort of personal quest.  this
would have helped explain her ability to wander alone and not be
bothered.  (this was modified in the final version.)

Talk of things to avoid.  These were details of things that wouldn't
have been around at the time, but that we take for granted.

My main focus was Kay's personality as a young girl, and what she
would be like so she would have the personality I had already shown
her to have when she was older and more experienced.  "I need to get
her to the strong, self assured yet gentle Kay we see when she meets
Merlin to teach him the ways of power."  (The comment was that what I
had written so far showed Kay as 'frightened but confident'.  Total
confidence isn't there yet but she knows what she wants.)

I went on to note that Kay might have a feeling that there's more she
wants to know, and she can't get it from the people she already knows.
"So I'm thinking an elder of some sort blessed her and told her 'go
find your destiny' "

A comment: "I think in these early stages you can show her dithering a
bit.  Should I? Could I? sort of thing."

"I have the bit about SH being shunned.  She would know that, yet be
drawn to it in some way.  So, her surprise at being met by people who
know her name, yet she'd expect a ritual of some sort that is
unfamiliar to her."

One of my original ideas was for Kay to be wearing a loadstone on a
gold chain, as her 'quest mark' that let people know she was on a
journey of discovery, and it was to someday become a prietess or wise
woman.

I had the following scene started, then got involved in a very long
discussion about how a girl from a tribal setting, who had been
apprenticed to a wise woman, would feel and act when she met a man who
fascinated her.  Tha man in question was Tom, and his apparent age was
in his early20s.

Using her seasoning of their food as the background, how would she get
his attention, and what would her feeling be?  How should he react to
her efforts?

Here is my original question and thoughts, followed by the open I had
already written, before we had our discussion:
--

I've assumed that Kay would have been drawn to the wise woman, so
she's been something of an apprentice to her for an unknown number of
years, but prob since she was very young
So she would naturally seek a wise woman's or priestress' approval
before most others.  OTOH, her culture is heavily male dominated in
all else.

So, my question is, 'How strong would her desire for male approval be,
esp if she finds herself attracted to one?  This is above the usual
girlhood infatuation

I have the situation of her seasoning the dinner and knowing that Tom
is the one who 'approves' the food.  So there's seeking approval from
her 'elders' mixed with the mf attraction and the knowledge he is the
one who will be approving her efforts with the seasonings
--

scene opens:
---

I had Wolf's robe draped over my arm when we stepped into the
firelight.  I offered it to Wolf with a smile, and said nothing.

She smiled and set it behind her.  "Time well spent?"

"Aye. It was."  I smiled when I faced Kay.  "Your people do well for
themselves."

"You went that far?"

"Wolves can run fast and far, when they desire to." 

I switched the subject.  "Is dinner ready?"

Wolf smiled.  "It has been for awhile.  We already had our portion.  I
think Kay did well but she awaits your judgement."

I laughed.  "My nose says she did, but I need to taste to be certain.

scene ends
---

We had a long, detailed discussion while both of us mentioned things
and found possible answers.

The final result of this discussion was Kay and Tom using food and its
preparation as part of the way they seduced each other in 'Wandering
Wolves: Stonehenge', and as part of their later meetings.

Ultimately, Kay's candid admission that according the the second wise
woman she was apprenticed to, she could 'only burn food', led to the
running 'joke' of Kay and Tom using that to tease each other, as a
sign of their shared love.
----

I also noted that the adult 'Kay' I was writing about in my stories
was, at that time, the only character I had who was based on a real
person, with their permission.

===

Notes generaeted from some chat sessions in September 2008, while
working on 'Wandering Wolves: Stonehenge

I included this so people could get a better feel for the effort I put
into building my backgrounds, and developing the personalities of my
characters.

Simply put, there is a LOT of 'skull sweat' involved when I'm first
writing about them!  

These notes are generated from  chat sessions that took place over
several days and totaled at least 4 hours.  It wasn't all about the
story, but the story was definitely the focus of the portions I saved
into my notes.
--

Do a better job of capturing Kay's innocence and her confusion with
the situation

Did I capture a hint of her bravado during her confrontation with
Mahika right after she met them?  I wanted to hint at the confidence
she who have as an adult.  (Yes, but it needed to give more of a hint
of how scared she would be. The reply here was 'somewhat cheeky but
scared', which was the tone I wanted.)

There was a discussion of what sort of community she came from.  Town,
hamlet or prehaps a wandering tribe.  

When was Kay born?  My final decision was 'near when Stonehenge was
first started.'

For flow reasons I put her 'hamlet' three to five days away from
Stonehenge.

My orignal concepts involved having Kay apprenticed to a village wise
woman, or a hedge priestess, and perhaps she was on her 'wandering
time'.  She mifght have been wearing a mark or medallion to let people
know she was 'untouchable', or on some sort of personal quest.  this
would have helped explain her ability to wander alone and not be
bothered.  (this was modified in the final version.)

Talk of things to avoid.  These were details of things that wouldn't
have been around at the time, but that we take for granted.

My main focus was Kay's personality as a young girl, and what she
would be like so she would have the personality I had already shown
her to have when she was older and more experienced.  "I need to get
her to the strong, self assured yet gentle Kay we see when she meets
Merlin to teach him the ways of power."  (The comment was that what I
had written so far showed Kay as 'frightened but confident'.  Total
confidence isn't there yet but she knows what she wants.)

I went on to note that Kay might have a feeling that there's more she
wants to know, and she can't get it from the people she already knows.
"So I'm thinking an elder of some sort blessed her and told her 'go
find your destiny' "

A comment: "I think in these early stages you can show her dithering a
bit.  Should I? Could I? sort of thing."

"I have the bit about SH being shunned.  She would know that, yet be
drawn to it in some way.  So, her surprise at being met by people who
know her name, yet she'd expect a ritual of some sort that is
unfamiliar to her."

One of my original ideas was for Kay to be wearing a loadstone on a
gold chain, as her 'quest mark' that let people know she was on a
journey of discovery, and it was to someday become a prietess or wise
woman.

I had the following scene started, then got involved in a very long
discussion about how a girl from a tribal setting, who had been
apprenticed to a wise woman, would feel and act when she met a man who
fascinated her.  Tha man in question was Tom, and his apparent age was
in his early20s.

Using her seasoning of their food as the background, how would she get
his attention, and what would her feeling be?  How should he react to
her efforts?

Here is my original question and thoughts, followed by the open I had
already written, before we had our discussion:
--

I've assumed that Kay would have been drawn to the wise woman, so
she's been something of an apprentice to her for an unknown number of
years, but prob since she was very young
So she would naturally seek a wise woman's or priestress' approval
before most others.  OTOH, her culture is heavily male dominated in
all else.

So, my question is, 'How strong would her desire for male approval be,
esp if she finds herself attracted to one?  This is above the usual
girlhood infatuation

I have the situation of her seasoning the dinner and knowing that Tom
is the one who 'approves' the food.  So there's seeking approval from
her 'elders' mixed with the mf attraction and the knowledge he is the
one who will be approving her efforts with the seasonings
--

scene opens:
---

I had Wolf's robe draped over my arm when we stepped into the
firelight.  I offered it to Wolf with a smile, and said nothing.

She smiled and set it behind her.  "Time well spent?"

"Aye. It was."  I smiled when I faced Kay.  "Your people do well for
themselves."

"You went that far?"

"Wolves can run fast and far, when they desire to." 

I switched the subject.  "Is dinner ready?"

Wolf smiled.  "It has been for awhile.  We already had our portion.  I
think Kay did well but she awaits your judgement."

I laughed.  "My nose says she did, but I need to taste to be certain.

scene ends
---

We had a long, detailed discussion while both of us mentioned things
and found possible answers.

The final result of this discussion was Kay and Tom using food and its
preparation as part of the way they seduced each other in 'Wandering
Wolves: Stonehenge', and as part of their later meetings.

Ultimately, Kay's candid admission that according the the second wise
woman she was apprenticed to, she could 'only burn food', led to the
running 'joke' of Kay and Tom using that to tease each other, as a
sign of their shared love.
----

I also noted that the adult 'Kay' I was writing about in my stories
was, at that time, the only character I had who was based on a real
person, with their permission.
---

End: Wandering Wolves: Notes
=======

Cassandra
 
I have a vague recolection of a thread in ASSD about Christianity, and
organized religions in general.

This one was going to be a way for me to mention my own feeling, and
point out some obvious things that people seemed to be ignoring during
their discussions.

As it turned out I never finished and posted this, so here's an
opening I never followe with a scene or story.
---

Cassandra
A Man and His Muse
---

The wolfess nestled between my arms after our evening love-making
woke, stretched seductively--then slowly changed into a human female.
Once her transformation was complete, she turned in my arms and kissed
me.  The wakeup ritual complete, she smiled and hugged me before her
hands slowly walked up my spine to my neck.  She started to pull me
into another kiss, paused, frowned slightly and then gently pushed me
away.  "Roll over."

I started to say somethting, saw her raised eyebrows, changed my mind
and without a word, rolled so I was face down on the bed.

She stradled me and began gently massaging my neck and shoulders. "You
haven't been this tense for quite awhile.  What is it this time?"

"Specifics?"

She kept massaging me while she thought things over.  Finally, a bit
tartly, "I need more than tense muscles and vague feelings of outrage,
dissastisfaction, frustration and resigned amusement to work with."

Her words took a few seconds to sink in.  When they did I rolled over
so we could look into each other's eyes.  "Mahika, love, it's not
inspiration I need.  I need direction.  I know what I want to say.  I
even have a good idea of how I want to say it."  I took a deep breath
and then let most of it slowly escape through clenched teeth.  "The
*problem* that has me so frustrated-- is that I don't know if I should
*say* those things."

Her eyes widened and her mouth opened slightly before she clamped it
shut.

I grabbed her hands and kissed them gently.  "I'm not their private
Cassandra, though I seem to fall into the role far too often for my
tastes.  I don't want to fall into the role of being a 'mentor' who is
so full of advice and tales of his own successes and failures that
people ignore my ramblings and any 'lessons' they may contain.  And
now...  Now this 'escape from the prison of Christianity' thread has
me..."  I kissed her hands again for lack of anything bettter to
divert my thoughts.  "I've been on at least three of the sides of this
one.  I don't *want* to point out the obvious--yet again."

She nodded.  As she raised her head she smiled impishly.  "You don't
need a massage.  Dr. Mahika prescribes the couch on the porch--and a
good cuddle."

She gently pulled her hands from mine and touched my forehead lightly
with a finger  "You don't need a lover.  You need a friend--and a
shoulder."
---

End: 'Cassandra'
=======


Lay Lines - Working Notes
 
In May of 2007 'Lay Lines was still in the concept stage and I was
kicking stuff around with Esu, to get her opinions and suggestions.

What follows are snips from the log of the conversation that
established the main concepts behind the campground scene in 'Lay
Lines'.
---

Children of flower children feels right.  I'm going with that to help
explain their comfort with the concepts. 

2011-05-18:  ('Their' is mostly the parents, but it does include their
children's acceptance of the siituation.)

chuckles...  If I write this soon enough, their research would have
been done to debunk their parents' mystical beliefs.  They are
skeptics, children who rebelled against their parent's beliefs.  <g>

At the same time, they have a core of honesty that admits that there
are things that might be unexplainable

2011-05-18:  (Esu makes a comment about John and Martha not believing
in their parent's powers, so they wouldn't realize they might be able
to use power, but their children, because of the way they'd been
raised to accept there are things not explainable by science, wouldn't
have any qualms about using power, because to them, it would be
'natural'.)

It's not that they didn't believe.  They never saw any visible proof
that their parents could call on any power.  'Wishful thinking' is how
they saw it, mostly.  But, it worked for their parents, too...
And their research took them into personal ethic systems they were
comfortable with.  

the kids...  IDK yet.  I think they just see it as something new to
play with.  A game they discovered accidentally, but Tom and Mahika
were having so much fun with it, they wanted to join them

2011-05-18:  (Esu makes a comment wondering about a 'Celt sense' and
only certain people would have it.)

could be.  I don't plan on going that deeply

2011-05-18:  (My following comment is the seed that winds up an
essential concept in 'Marie's Solstice', three and half years later.)

I think what it may be is that everyone has the ability but the
culture they grow up in eventually encourages or denys it to them.  So
the kids could get it accidentally, but the parents have to be given
an 'explanation' to hang their acceptance on, thus the 'See as your
children see' ritual.

Of course Tom already knows he has the ability and with Mahika, he has
experience, so all he really needs is a reminder and a few hints about
possibilities.  The rest is the self confidence to explore with an
open mind

The 'game' they were playing was really Mahika teaching him.

And the other stuff he does later, he doesn't make an issue about how
new he is to things because he recognizes that to the kids and their
parents, it's important that he appear to be more skilled than he
really is.

now...  "Get all that in the story without it being intrusive!"
---

2011-05-18:  Author's note:

'Lay Lines' was a 'break though' work for me.  I'd written works as
long, or longer, before then, but when it took off and seemed to write
itself for me, I shattered the barrier that kept me from consistently
writing longer works and finishing them, instead of setting them
aside, or posting scenes as chapters.

That, combined with a deep sense of my mortality after my heart attack
in October of 2007 (the same year I wrote 'Lay Lines'), eventually led
to my decision, in late December of 2008, to 'get serious' about my
writing.

In January of 2009 I decided to spend two months writing, then I'd
study the results and set myself a reasonable goal for the rest of the
year, based on what I already knew I could produce.

It was the right decision for me as an author.  My writing has become
a habit, and while not everything I start gets worked on until it's
finished without doing other work, the shorter pieces do get finished
in one, or a few sessions, and the longer works tend to flow much more
smoothly when I do work on them.
---

End: 'Lay Lines Notes'
=======

Lay Lines,  Day's Dawn, The Kids
 
After I posted 'Lay Lines', and in in his review, Yotna mentioned the
kids weren't developed, I came up with a tilte and concept for a story
about them.

So far, it never got past the concept stage.

These are my notes for the story that so far, hasn't been written,
about Marie and her sister and brothers, immediately after they met
Tom and Mahika.
---

 Lay Lines,  Day's Dawn, The Kids

Solstice Morning with the kids from Lay Lines
Tom & Mahika
John & Martha

The Kids:
f-12 Marie
f- Libby
m- John Jr
m- Sam

Day's Dawn - Summer Solstice Morning
The Kids from 'Lay Lines'
A Man and Muse Story
----

End:  Notes for 'Day's Dawn'
=======


Losing Interest
 
Every once in awhile I'd go through a phase when I simply couldn't get
the words written down.  I started this one to try and at least
express that frustration and sense of loss when it happens.

Naturally, I never finished it.

Here, unedited, is the opening of...
--

Losing Interest
A man and Muse Scene
---

Describing the pain of lossing the impetus to write

4/24/2005

The morning that greets me is a pleasant surprise.  It snowed last
night.  I open the curtains and settle on the couch.

She joins me and settles with her head on my lap.  "Well?"

My eyes close briefly, then open to stare at nothing.  "It's not a
block.  It's not you."  I look down and grimace.  "But you already
know that--or you wouldn't be here."

She tilts her head up.  Her ears flicker back and forth while she
samples the morning sounds.  They face me and freeze.  "So, talk to
me."  There's a drawn out silence before she gives me the lupine
equivalent of a wistful smile.  One paw slides over to rest on my leg.

I nod and grasp her paw with my free hand.  The other never stops its
listless stroking that reassures me she is there.

"I wonder what it's like to be 'not creative'?"  I shrug and gaze out
the window.  "So much churning within that I can't write any of it. Or
sketch it, for that matter." 

Her head presses on my leg and I look down again.  "Something changed
this year.  Something is missing and I mourn that loss."  She snorts
softly.  "Yes, love.  Everything is there but the need to give the
ideas form."
---

End Unfinished: 'Losing Interest'
=======

Notes - A Meeting of the MInds
 
In 2008 I finally wrote the scene that described the first time Tom
and Mahika met Lady Chrystal

Here are the notes detailing the things I wanted to make sure I
covered in that work.
---

2008-07-13 Notes - A Meeting of the MInds

What happened, the first time Stas (Tom) and Vel met?

How is their relationship reconciled with Vel's and Merlins life?

She obviously makes time available, so it's probably something to do
with how immortals see time.

Just as Merlin has had his outside relationships, Vel would have hers,
and Tom might be the first of many.
---

End: 'Notes - A Meeting of the MInds'
=======

Possible Muse names
 
When I was searching for a name for my Muse, I did most of my searches
on sites that listed Native American names and their meanings.

By the time I was done I had settled on four possible names, and
eventually picked 'Mahika'.

Here's the list.  Unfortunately, I didn't keep the meanings of the
other names.

It's unlikely that I'll ever use any of the other names in a story,
now.
---

Muse:

Mohawk - Kateri
Hopi - Talasi
Cherokee - Ayita
Algonquin - Mahika- Wolf Clan
---

End:  Muse Names
=======

Stonehenge Notes
 
Some notes about burials at Stonehenge:
(from articles on the web)
---

The earliest cremation burial dated - a small pile of burned bones and
teeth - came from one of the pits around the edge of Stonehenge known
as the Aubrey Holes and dates to between 3,030 BC and 2,880 BC -
roughly the time when the Stonehenge monument was cut into Salisbury
Plain.

The second burial, from the ditch surrounding Stonehenge, is that of
an adult and dates to between 2,930 BC and 2,870 BC.

The most recent cremation comes from the ditch's northern side and was
of a 25-year-old woman; it dates to between 2,570 BC and 2,340 BC,
around the time the first arrangements of sarsen stones appeared at
Stonehenge.
---

End:  Stonehenge Burial Notes
=======

Wandering Wolf: Miscellaneous Notes
 
When I wrote 'Wandering Wolf, I was still working on some of my basic
concepts for time travelers in the Man and Muse universe.  I'd more or
less settled on many of them when I was writing 'Lay Lines', but now,
in this story, I put some more thought into them.

Here, I wrote them down as part of the process of giving these
questions serious thought, and finalizing my concepts for this, and
any later work.

I already knew the kid's names.  I added them to my notes for easy
reference when I started writing about them, or using them in other
works.
---

Wandering Wolf: Miscellaneous Notes
---

Tuesday, May 27, 2008 7:02 PM
The Kids:
f-12 Marie
f- Libby
m- John Jr
m- Sam
---

they put a cam of some sort on wolf when she keeps vanishing and it
brings back some 'interesting' movies.

What are the limitations, if any, to natural time travel ablities?
Only the person's lifetime, that of their friends, too?

Sunday, May 25, 2008 12:39 PM
how old is a time traveler who returns to the instant they left their
home timeline?  this will affect Mahika's age and experience, and also
Wolf's.  Wolf could be as old, or older than Mahika by now, in a
linear year's time.  Is Tom's physical age linear or does his body
show cummulative time and aging?

body never leaves original time, the power creates a new body in
whatever time and location the mind settles.  This would explain the
'vanishing' when the mind leaves that time.

so there is mental age, based on life experience and physical age
based on the linear time traveled by the body.
---

End: Wandering Wolf: Miscellaneous Notes
=======

Wandering Wolf Cut Portion
 
What follows is the original 'confrontation' scene that took place
when John and Martha confronted Tom about who he really is, and asked
for an explanation of the pictures Wolf's 'collar cam' took when she
was time and place traveling.

The posted version kept many elements but wound up with a different
feel to it, along with many more details.

Overall, I'm much happier with the posted version of this scene.
---

Saturday, June 07, 2008 11:13 PM
Wandering Wolf: Cut Scene
--

 and got serious.  "I know how open you are, but I'm not sure you're
going to believe me when I say 'Wolf paid for it'."

"Wolf?"

Martha nodded.   "Wolf.  We were camping about five months ago and she
wandered off to explore.  When she came back she had a 'stick' she was
playing with.  When we took it away from her and realized what it was,
an ancient arrow with the head still attached. we did some checking.
By the time the hoopla was over, we were given finder's fees for every
new item found at a previously unknown early Native American site."

John leaned back and relaxed slightly.  "The first check was deposited
a few weeks ago so we splurged in time for the Summer Solstice."

I frowned.  "And you didn't tell us about the find?  Mahika's going to
be upset when she finds out."

John squirmed in his chair.  "We had to sign a non disclosure
agreement.  They didn't want the collectors and scavengers to find
out."

"OK.  For what it's worth, I can understand your reasoning when you
say 'Wolf paid for it'."

"Thanks."

John turned to look at his wife again.  There was a silent
conversation of some sort then he stood up and went inside the RV.
When he returned he placed a stack of printed images on the table in
front of me.  "Take a look at these and tell us what you think."

I reached and picked up the stack, then winced.  The top picture was
one of the flying bridge on the Sam Cee.  Mahika and I were
identifiable.

"The Sam Cee...  She's been in dry dock for almost two years."

Martha nodded.  "You never told us about her."  There was a
brittleness in her next words.  " 'We don't mind sharing...'   Pocket
change?"

Ouch.  I sighed and put the stack on the table for now.  "Martha.
John."  I tilted my head towards the van.  "That van is 'me'.  Simple.
Practical.  Low key.  I accept you indulged when you bought the RV,
but has that new wealth changed you that much, yet?  Do you plan on
letting it change who you are?  You won't have much choice, really.
You *will* change.  Being able to be yourselves and never worry about
the future will cause your attitudes and those of your kids to change.
All you can do now is damage control, unless you intend to give it all
up."

I snorted and went on.  "I'm a pretty knowledgeable
Jack-of-all-trades.  The Sam C is my indulgence, a functioning proof
of concept based on my own designs and dreams.  I own the patents for
all of her special technology.  The fees I get for sharing them are...
Huge.  When I had enough money, I had her built."

I sighed and looked at each of them.  "OK.  Yes, we could have shared
a lot more than we did, and never noticed the expense.  But...

"The sharing wasn't charity, it was honest and from the heart.  We
strongly believe that the only coin that buys friends is
ourselves--and that's what we used last year.  Frankly, we never
mentioned the money in our lives because we forgot to.  It's not how
we define ourselves, to others, or ourselves."

I closed my eyes wearily, then opened them again as I leaned forward
to pick up the prints again.

I went through them and sighed before replacing them on the table and
leaning back.  "OK.  I'll make one comment.  'Yes, every one of those
pictures is of a real event.'  I don't know how you got them, and I
never noticed anyone taking them, but I'm not going to deny reality."

There was a long silence.  Finally John reacted.  "I guess I was
hoping you'd say they weren't real, after all."

He glanced down at Wolf.  "Stand, girl."  She did.  He took her collar
off and tossed it to me.  "Take a close look.  There's a camera
mounted on it.  Wolf took every one of those pictures, we think."

I looked at the collar and camera, then tossed it back and watched
while he put it back on her.  "Good girl.  You can relax now."

She looked at him, then turned her head to look at the kids.  She was
obviously undecided about what she wanted to do.  Then, she looked at
John again and licked his hand before settling back on the ground.

I teased her.  >>Was all that heavy handed acting really needed?<<

>>You try acting like a three year old bitch when you're several thousand years old.  I was trying to remember how much I'm supposed to understand, and I needed time to think.<<

I laughed at her astringent tone.  >>I was teasing you.<<

I got a mental sneeze of disgust as part of her reply.  >>Humans!<<

I turned my attention back to John and Martha.  "You think?"

He nodded.  "We've been hoping Mahika can find out for us."

Martha finally spoke up again.  "Tom?"

"Yes?"

"Do you think Wolf is able to teleport through time and space? And..."
I could hear the fear and concern.  "Is it something Marie will be
able to do?"

'Yikes!'  I sent an urgent thought at Chrys.  >>Chrys!  Can you find
out if Marie knows how to teleport or time shift?<<

While I waited I temporized slightly.  "Some day she might be able to.
It takes some pretty detailed visualization skills before you do it
though,  Mahika can give you better info on that.

"As for Wolf...  Even without Mahika here, I think the only answer is
'yes, she teleports and travels through time.  There's one picture..."

I dug through the stack, pulled out the image of the puppy chewing on
my tail and showed it to them.  "This happened almost three thousand
years ago in relation to today, yet for me it took place less than a
week ago."

I shook my head and smiled.   "It's a long story but since it's the
freshest event in my mind, I'll explain it:  I was challenged to write
a story about 'The White Horse of Uffington'.  We were there when it
was created.  There really was a puppy who chewed on a wolf's tail
while Mahika looked on and laughed.  In fact, she was only the first
to get to the wolf.  A few seconds after this happened, he was buried
under a litter of playing puppies who used him as a chew toy--for a
good part of the morning."

Martha leaned forward to study me thoughtfully.  Then she studied Wolf
before she raised her head slightly to watch her children.  "You never
mentioned you knew the Ambassador."

I didn't try to hide my sigh.  "I suppose I could say 'You never
asked', but the truth is, we never thought about it.  We've been
friends for many years."

The was something else I knew I'd better mention.  "And yes, I know
Merlin and all the other people in their extended family."

Both of their heads snapped around and they stared at me, speechless.

I knew it wasn't going to last so I let Wolf feel some of my
exasperation.  >>OK, Young Bitch.  How do you feel about the thought
of me telling them how old you are, or that you can shape shift?<<

I hoped I was the only one there who noticed her fur shift as her
muscles tensed, then relaxed.  >>I wish you wouldn't...<<

>>Yes?<<

I could see the unspoken pleading in her eyes as she watched me. >>You
are my Alpha.<<

I nodded slightly and hoped John and Martha wouldn't pick it up, or if
they did, they'd think I was admitting the truth of my knowing Merlin
and his family.

Martha pounced on my admission.  "Tom?  How old are you?"

I gazed at her calmly, not taking any pride in being able to predict
the probable course of the conversation.  "This body is near sixty.
Mentally, I'm not certain.  My best estimate is that I've experienced
between one hundred and one hundred and fifty years."

"Are you immortal?"

"No.  When this body dies, I die."

She nodded, obviously thinking about my words and her body language
told me she was relieved at my answer.

I felt Mahika's hands on my shoulders and reached up to clasp one of
them with mine.  I knew what I had to do, and say.

It hurt, but I had to protect Wolf.

"Power alone does not confer immortality.  Nor does mindset.  Can the
mortal create the immortal?  None know."

 I took a deep breath and let it out slowly.  "For what comfort it's
worth, in all our travels through time and space, we've never met an
immortal, time traveling canid."

Martha looked at me, then Wolf.  Before she could say something more I
sighed and spoke again.  "Some things have to be accepted.  With
power, and the ability to travel outside time as we usually know it,
linear age becomes meaningful only in relation to the original body."

I turned to study Wolf and sighed.  "As much as I'd like to give you
an answer, as far as the length of Wolf's lifespan is concerned, 'I
don't know.' "

I tipped my head back so I could look at Mahika.  "Love?  What can you
add?"

She let go of my shoulder and knelt next to Wolf, then placed a hand
on Wolf's head.

Wolf thumped her tail and smiled.  >>Thank you.<<

>>Let's hope the diversion worked.  I think it will until Marie learns to shape shift...  Hmmm...  Let me think about this while you and Mahika do your act.<<

I shifted my attention to Chrys.  >>Chrys?  What news?<<

I felt her amused sigh.  >>Marie is precocious.  However, she's also
in awe of me.<<  She hesitated briefly,  then continued.  >>I'm
bringing them over.  I need to talk to Martha and John.<<

>>Can you wait until Wolf and Mahika do whatever it is they have planned?<<

She laughed gently.  >>I can do that.  I'll need Wolf for what I have
planned.<<

I groaned inside.   >>I know that tone.<<

>>Let me know when you're ready.<<  She broke the link.

I returned my attention to what was going on around me.  Mahika still
had her hand on Wolf's head and she was looking into Wolf's eyes.  I
hoped my sigh wasn't visible.  I couldn't believe they were doing that
old clich�...

Then, when I thought about it, it made sense.  People knew the
Rabelaisians used a touch link for mental contact.  I knew Mahika
didn't need to be in contact but when I tried to remember last year, I
couldn't decide if we'd explained that to John and Martha.

No.  Everything we'd done with Wolf could be explained as a game, or
training her.  Good.  Hopefully they'd all be comfortable with the
idea that any telepathy would be limited to that done while in
physical contact.
---

End:  'Wandering Wolf - Cut Scene
=======

 White Horse Notes
 
When I was working on 'The White Horse of Uffington, I considered and
discarded quite a few concepts while I built the story.

The first note is from Esu.  the link was obvious, so I chose to honor
the real life Muse who challenged me to write the story, by calling
the power handlers in the tribe, 'The Aesu'.

The notes that start on May 14 show the evolution of the scene that
describes the creation of the White Horse.  
===


Friday, May 09, 2008 10:32 AM
from Esu:  The earliest personal name to appear on coins is Antedios
(ca. 10 BC), and other abbreviated names like AESU 
=======

Wednesday, May 14, 2008 9:35 PM
have the people form an outline of the figure and Mahika ties them
together with power as she 'blasts' the final clearing of the ground
with power.

Friday, May 16, 2008 5:42 PM
Final Uffington scene:  The morning after Solstice, the puppies are
playing tug-of-war with the grass ring and Mahika and Tom are gone.

Friday, May 16, 2008 10:25 PM
Mahika's Solstice Leap:  With the people gathered, the males and
females are each told to point at and track either Mahika or the grass
ring as she leaps for it.    She leaps the full length of the figure,
catching the ring at the highest point of her leap, in the middle.  At
that instant she is the receptacle for all of their combined energy
and she uses it to 'burn' the images, finishing the work that was
started and incidentally creating a new ley line.  Tom has been
standing at the 'eye' when he makes the toss.  She and the ring leave
a rainow hued 'trail' through the air until she catches the ring, at
which point there's the flash and the image is finished and imbued
with power.  

The 'eye' is the vantage point the overseer uses to supervise the
layout of the figure and everything is scaled up from the model. Model
is in the center of the eye.  The model is destroyed as part of the
finishing of the full figure.
=========

Saturday, May 17, 2008 9:02 PM
solstice ceremony. Mahika as wolf takes a running leap, timed so she
reached the center of the figure at solstice.  Tom is standing in the
'eye' and tosses the ring so it meets her at the center of the figure.
Both actions use power, but only enough to complete the actions.

Meanwile the tribe has been gathered and placed within the outlined
figure.  Mahika has told First what to do and also told her 'You will
know what to do when the time is right.'

At the instant of Mahika catching the ring, First and the gathered
Aesu released the gathered power, burning away the soils and grass to
reveal the completed image.

When the corona fades, the tribe is gone, leaving Tom and Mahika
alone.

He carefully destroys the model, making sure there is no sign it ever
was, they they return to their own time.
---

End: White Horse of Uffington Notes
=======

End:  Man & Muse: Outtakes, Bloopers and Other Work, Finished and
Unfinished

-- 
Pursuant to the Berne Convention, this work is copyright with all rights
reserved by its author unless explicitly indicated.
+---------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| alt.sex.stories.moderated ------ send stories to: <ckought69@hotmail.com>|
| FAQ: <http://assm.asstr-mirror.org/faq.html> Moderators: <story-ckought69@hotmail.com> |
+---------------------------------------------------------------------------+
|ASSM Archive at <http://assm.asstr-mirror.org>   Hosted by <http://www.asstr-mirror.org> |
|Discuss this story and others in alt.sex.stories.d; look for subject {ASSD}|
+---------------------------------------------------------------------------+