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DC Hauser

@dchauser.com

870 followers 620 following 5K posts

Gamer. Musician. Writer. Geek. UGA Dawg. GenX AuDHD burned out gifted kid.

My day job is editing text files that make the internet work.

#amquerying : The Sanctuary Lock (fantasy)
#amwriting : The Thousand Doors (fantasy)

Website: dchauser.com

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DC Hauser

@dchauser.com

No penultimate, but @merriam-webster.com says 'ensuing' is a synonym.

Paiva’s eyes settled on Seraph Lysenko as Alekna gave the description, and they found more than a little amusement in watching the blood drain from the Emerald Seraph’s face at the graphic depiction of the fate of the Legion battalion. They assumed for someone used to the world of diplomacy and social elegance, the realities of battle carried a bit too much viscera for her.
Seraph Tyber spoke up during the ensuing silence, his voice skirting a line dangerously close to patronizing in Paiva’s opinion.
“And what do you plan to do about this, Kleré? After all, the Legions are your responsibility?”
Paiva watched the faintest of twitches at the hinge of Seraph Alekna’s jaw as if she bit back the first comment she wanted to make.
“The answer to that question is two-fold, Artas,” she said with a carefully controlled lack of emotion in her voice. “For the first part, we will continue massing troops along the border of Cantrev Laane. My generals and I agree the Elder intended this to be an attempt to cow our troops with the ferocity of the attack. Given the lack of follow up or attacks in other areas, it implies they do not intend to begin a full-scale assault at this point. Therefore, our Legions will continue to gather on the steppes of northeast Cantrev Suda in preparation for the campaign season.”

November 6, 2025 at 12:06 PM

DC Hauser

@dchauser.com

“We should make the pass and get over it tomorrow. We managed to cover a good bit of ground today. Once we’re through the pass itself, we’re another two days from the Ebene. Maybe three from a settlement big enough for us to buy horses. Anything closer won’t have anything they’d be willing to sell.”
Alma handed each of them a small loaf of trail bread split open to hold a large sausage, onions, and potatoes before settling on the ground with her own.
“Almost a full five-day before I can start riding again? My feet will be screaming by the time we get there.”
Linnea smiled weakly, a hint of her usual self peeking out from the clouds of her grief.
“That’s what you get for spending all your time in the towns and cities, Alma. No appreciation for the common folks who spend all their time on their feet to get anywhere.”
Alma rolled her eyes, swallowing the food in her mouth before responding.
“I like towns and cities. They have beds there. I can put solid walls between me and the things that go bump in the night. Someone else cooks my food for me and,” she said with special emphasis, “cleans up the dishes when I’m done.”
“Yes,” Runo said teasingly, “and Kal tucks you in at night and reads you a bedtime story full of fairies and rainbows.”

November 5, 2025 at 12:12 PM

DC Hauser

@dchauser.com

I've been splitting writing between the kitchen table and my desk downstairs. On my desktop, I have a wired Redragon keyboard, and I missed the mechanical click when switching to my laptop.

So I picked up a BT version to use with my laptop.

A Redragon Kumara Elite Bluetooth keyboard sitting on a brown table.

November 1, 2025 at 2:36 PM

DC Hauser

@dchauser.com

“I want to head into the tunnels beneath the city. It will be easier to avoid other members of your Order and find my allies that way than it will be running through the streets. I would imagine the sand in the hourglass is slipping quickly toward Varga releasing his crimson hounds to chase us down.”
Stefan stopped speaking as Suvi attempted to control the flicker of emotion across her face, her mind racing through images of the last time she went into the tunnels. Gauffin’s gasp as Caspian ripped his essence to power a spell, the scent of armor and sweat mixed with the feeling of claustrophobia, and finally the panic as an explosion brought the ceiling down, burying half the legionnaires and almost catching Suvi in its grasp.
“Is something the matter?”
Surprise at the concern in his voice managed to stop Suvi’s spiraling mind as she lifted her eyes to his.
“I cannot say I enjoyed my last trip below Colmar. I barely avoided being buried alive, and I would prefer to continue avoiding that fate.”

October 30, 2025 at 5:31 PM

DC Hauser

@dchauser.com

Finally organized my TBR a bit. This isn't all of it, but it's the top end of it. Granted, Lies Weeping coming out next week will jump the line.

In progress: Queen of Fury by @natania.bsky.social, A Night in the Lonesome October, the second Amber series, and a novella by @scottlynch78.bsky.social

A collection of books on a black nightstand. From left to right, the titles are:

Queen of Mercy
Apprentice to the Villain
Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil
The Grimoire Grammar School Parent Teacher Association
City of Day
City of Night
The Fifth Season
The Invisible Library
God killer

October 29, 2025 at 1:52 PM

DC Hauser

@dchauser.com

I had to go with attire for this one. I went to use garb first and realized the only place I use it is in the climax scene of the book and it spoils A LOT.

So this is from a villain scene in The Thousand Doors.

“Do you know from where I’ve just returned, Archmagus Atto?”
Paiva’s Opal Veil successfully obfuscated their face paling at the irritated tone in Jacobi’s voice. The Opal Seraph rarely lost his temper and even a sign such as this could carry dire consequences.
“Given your formal attire, Seraph, I assume the Palace of the Sun.”
Jacobi’s head turned just enough to allow him to observe Paiva from the corner of his eye as he nodded sharply.
“Just so. The Undying Light of Morning summoned all four of the Seraphim. Imperator Kostan wished to fully express his displeasure at items being brough to his attention. Judging by the satisfied smirk on the face of the Emerald Seraph, I can only imagine Arina Lysenko found herself only too willing to whisper such things to him.”
Paiva held their tongue, rapidly having reached the conclusion that only speaking when requested to do so would be the wiser course for now.

October 28, 2025 at 11:30 AM

DC Hauser

@dchauser.com

Stepping through the doorway, Paiva allowed the shadows cloaking them to remain on the other side.
“I believe I can answer that question, Seraph.”
Jacobi stopped pacing, his head snapping in Paiva’s direction. To his credit, that proved the sum total of his reaction to their sudden appearance. His voice, when he acknowledged their presence, carried a deceptively neutral tone Paiva knew better than to test.
“How long have you been there, Archmagus Atto?”
“A handful of minutes. I arrived not long before Seraph Lysenko made her exit.”
“So, you heard the end of our exchange?”
Paiva nodded shortly, shifting to stand at parade rest.
“In many ways, it carried a similar frustration to my conversation with the Archmagus of Light a few hours ago.”
Jacobi’s eyebrows raised for a moment as he moved around his desk to lean back against it, fingers curling to either side on its edge.

October 24, 2025 at 3:54 PM

DC Hauser

@dchauser.com

“It’s always nice when you prove that you’re useful. Saves me from finding the lantern and praying it still had fuel.”
She moved ahead of him and started walking down the slope while making a gesture for him to follow. He debated not doing so for a moment just to see what her reaction to ending up in darkness would be, but he put it aside because it would only delay getting what they needed before leaving the city. Instead, he followed the slope of the corridor.
After twenty or so strides, it leveled out and continued for another hundred. A ladder appeared out of the darkness in the yellow circle of light cupped in his hand. Wooden rather than the metal one leading up to the roof, it went up to end at a trapdoor barely visible in the illumination.
Alma scampered up like an overgrown squirrel, reaching up a hand as she neared the end of the ladder. Slowing her ascent, her hand slowly pushed the door upward. Once it cleared a few inches, she stopped again and listened. Apparently satisfied with what she heard—or did not hear—she edged it up another foot and a half before reaching out to pull up a prop to hold it open. She looked down at Runo at the base of the ladder.

October 23, 2025 at 11:25 AM

DC Hauser

@dchauser.com

A little longer one this morning just because I enjoyed writing this scene.

As the Dvergur’s tone got snippier, the Ogur simply stared down at him impassively, letting him vent his spleen. Sensing a pause in the other Elder’s rant, Timikan snorted.
“No, what makes me better than you is the fact I’m in charge and you’re not. If you can’t accept that fact, then I’m more than happy to beat it into you. Do I make myself clear?”
Warin looked around at the other Dvergur, apparently trying to decide just how much of an issue he wanted to make of this situation. Making his decision, his arm snapped to his shoulder, grabbing the haft of the axe hanging there and lashing out with it toward the Ogur. Suvi marveled at the alacrity of the movements, the axe seeming to blur as it drove toward the much larger Ogur. Surely something that size would not be able to get out of the way.
Instead of a sickening crunch of the axe head driving into the Ogur’s knee, it whistled through the air as Timikan shifted just enough to avoid the blow. His movement appeared so natural and elegant that he might have simply been moving to allow someone to pass. Clearly expecting the counterbalancing force of contact, Warin stumbled as the careening weapon pulled his shoulder after it. As he turned broadside to the Ogur, Timikan shifted forward again, both hands extended. One grabbed Warin’s ankle and pulled while the other shoved against his shoulder, driving the Dvergur down into the dirt.
Air exploded out of Warin’s mouth, his beard saving his face from the abrasiveness of the ground. Timikan’s boot stepped down on the hand holding the axe as Warin vainly attempted to shift and bring it back to bear. Apparently, content with helplessness of the Dvergur, his eyes lifted to take in the others standing in the clearing.

October 22, 2025 at 11:13 AM

DC Hauser

@dchauser.com

Part of the project I'm working on currently.

Ashlan could just make out a signal from the first assassin to the second, directing them toward the bed. Recognizing their intention to spring what they hoped would be a fatal trap, she took the risk of ducking her head and pushing herself into a roll to close the remaining few feet, coming up onto the balls of her feet and reaching up with her left hand to pull down the crossbow before turning.
As if choreographed to perfection, the larger shadow dove toward her bed and drove what looked like a rapier into the lump meant to replicate her sleeping form. The other person stood slightly, bringing a smile to Ashlan’s face. Their head and shoulders framed perfectly in the dimly lit window, she lifted the crossbow, aimed with the casual competence of someone who had been doing this for years, and pulled the release.

October 21, 2025 at 3:26 PM

DC Hauser

@dchauser.com

“Exactly. Although if they have all those troops in the North, I can’t imagine someone won’t come up with the bright idea root out even that. Although how well that will work out for them, I don’t know. It’s easy when the enemy is across the field from you. It gets a little harder when you’re trying to root out partisans buried in the populace or small groups that find any way they can to throw a spear through your wagon wheels when you’re moving troops through the Ebene.”
A solid trio of knocks on the door interrupted their conversation. Grault’s voice bored through the wood into the cabin.
“Tides turned, and we’re bound for the channel. While you’ve given me no reason not to be fond of you, I would appreciate the return of my cabin now.”

October 20, 2025 at 12:43 PM

DC Hauser

@dchauser.com

“Phari Larsen, you brought us here claiming you discovered Stefan with one of his captors. You made it sound like either Stefan was working them willingly or being forced to lead them to us. You assured us our lives might depend on addressing it. When we arrived, you turned to wanting to put Vaino on trial, accusing her of participating in the kidnapping of Lord Iancu and compromising our operations in the city.”
He paused, taking a deep breath to still the anger clearly apparent on his face.
“Only we came to discover a very different story—one backed up by Lord Iancu himself. For now, I will simply hope you operated in what you felt were the best interests of the Andmæli and not for other self-serving reasons.”

October 19, 2025 at 9:52 PM

DC Hauser

@dchauser.com

So no instance of 'loaf' in the current WIP, so I went with 'relax' instead.

If nothing else, the evening air offered a cool balm to aid her body in relaxing from the adrenaline dump of the attack. Looking around the courtyard, a half dozen soldiers stood around the crumpled body. One of them held a bucket, torchlight reflecting off the jostled water inside of it, and gestured toward the body.
“Just pick up the damned thing and take it somewhere else. The sooner you do that, the sooner I can get to washing around the blood and brains.”
One of the others scowled toward the bucket carrier.
“And why do you get to be on bucket duty instead of corpse hauling? You pulled this same shit last time, too.”
Bucket boy returned the scowl in spades.
“Because I have seniority and none of the rest of you grabbed a bucket. You just wanted to stand around staring at the body. That’s why.”

October 17, 2025 at 1:30 PM

DC Hauser

@dchauser.com

I actually wrote this last night. It's part of a fun bit of banter.

“Replaceable, am I? And just who would you think could ever measure up to me?”
Ashlan let her face take on a speculative demeanor, including raising her hand to tap a finger against her lips.
“How about Doric? He has a good head on his shoulders. And I imagine rubbing that bald head might bring me luck.”
Ilan snorted loudly.

October 16, 2025 at 11:32 AM

DC Hauser

@dchauser.com

This is from my current WIP. Still debating if I need to do this first person or not...

“You heard her eminence. If you need to spew, make sure to go to the window. Just make sure you don’t end up hitting Captain Macland. You understand me, Bostley?”

Ashlan watched Bostley’s eyes dart from Doric to her and back again before he swallowed audibly and nodded, his jawline tensing as he clamped down to keep it closed. Whether he did this to bite back a response to ensure he did not lose the contents of his stomach, she could not tell. And, she admitted to herself, she really did not care either way.

As they walked into the room and in the direction of the failed assassin, she moved to stand by the door, leaning against it with her arms crossed. The rush of adrenaline from the abrupt interruption of her rest faded, a shudder at the sudden chill in the air from the open window arriving as the battle fever deserted her blood. She closed her eyes and leaned her head back against the wall.

October 15, 2025 at 1:06 PM

DC Hauser

@dchauser.com

“You’re right. You have no reason to trust me. In fact, I would imagine you would see my offer to help get you out here as some sort of psychological torture.”

He nodded and looked to say something, but she held up her hand.

“I killed Caspian Okko. Watching him as he pursued your friends and sacrificed anyone with him in pursuit of his ultimate goal finally opened my eyes to what my Order is and what it does. I could either accept that let it slowly crush my soul, or I could choose to do something about it. If you’re not willing to give me the benefit of the doubt, then I’ll have to do it on my own—however long that lasts.”

Stefan looked at her for a long moment before sighing.

“And either I can accept you’re telling the truth or likely die here.” He cocked his head to the side slightly. “Take off your mask.”

October 14, 2025 at 1:37 PM

DC Hauser

@dchauser.com

As needs to be stated every year:

An indigenous woman holding up her middle finger with the caption 'Fuck Christopher Columbus.'

October 13, 2025 at 3:18 PM

DC Hauser

@dchauser.com

From next to the mule, Linnea’s voice carried a more somber tone.

“If they’re that way with everyone, they don’t have to explain to the Ruby Legion or anyone else from the Imperium why they don’t want them there. It’s easier to push everyone away than it is to fight off a government capable of crushing you without a second thought.”

Runo swallowed and nodded, his mood taking a serious shift along with Alma’s.

“I didn’t think of it that way, but it makes sense.”

October 13, 2025 at 12:37 PM

DC Hauser

@dchauser.com

This is some scamming bullshit right here and why you should read everything in the envelope. Apparently, someone saw I'd registered an LLC and sent this out. Had I not paid online and not read the whole enclosed letter, I might have sent money to them and wondered why the state still wanted theirs.

An envelope addressed to Strangeland Publishing LLC from Georgia Document Services.

October 5, 2025 at 5:01 PM

DC Hauser

@dchauser.com

Time for the annual one chapter a day reread. I finally bought a paperback copy so I could stop endangering my first edition.

Paperback copy of A Night in the Lonesome October by Roger Zelazny.

October 1, 2025 at 3:28 PM

DC Hauser

@dchauser.com

Every time I read this exchange, it makes me chuckle a bit.

Alma bumped into Runo as he stopped in his tracks. She swatted him with her hand, a demand to know why he stopped dying stillborn on her lips. Instead, all that escaped was a whispered, "Fuck me. It's a dragon."
Sinuously pulling itself into an erect position, the dragon balanced on its haunches, crossing upper limbs across its chest as its bulk filled the pass, rising several feet above the trio. Sunlight sparkled off reddish silver scales that ran the length of its body from the black crest along the ridge of its skull to the tip of its spiked tail. Its voice rumbled up from its chest and through its throat.
"I can assure you fornication is not on my agenda today."

September 30, 2025 at 2:54 PM

DC Hauser

@dchauser.com

Took my daughter yo see her favorite musical last night in NYC. Her smile and joy made all the extra work worthwhile.

We both agree, however, that if we make this trip again, we're flying.