Mx. Nash
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nashbirdwrites.bsky.social
Mx. Nash
@nashbirdwrites.bsky.social
1.4K followers 1.3K following 1.4K posts
Technical writer | Author & Poet | Pantser by nature | Anti-Generative AI | Queer | Neurodivergent | Any pronouns but they/them preferred

Work featured in:
• ScissorTALE Review
• Penumbra Online
• HNDL Magazine
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nashbirdwrites.bsky.social
How many times can I saw door in one paragraph? Apparently quite a few.

WIP: This Side of the Veil

#WIPSnips
As she pressed send, she saw him cross the windows of her store and pull out his phone. He stopped just short of her door and gave a smug smirk before he walked in. The door opening set off her runed necklaces and the bell above the door. "Special delivery. Good to see you aren't dead from a concussion." "By Thor, the doctors didn't think it was." she groaned, "Just a hard hit to the head. They were more worried about muscle knotting than anything else. A knot would cause a multi-day headache. No, thank you." He gave her a look that said she was wrong, but he was entertaining her by going along with it. She wanted to roll her eyes so bad at him and his attitude. "Got burgers and fries. Figured a nice, caffeinated soda would perk you up as well."
November 20, 2025 at 1:55 PM
nashbirdwrites.bsky.social
I swear every time I take a screenshot and read through it, I have to make a change before and re-screenshot before I can post it. Today’s blunder: using a gendered pronoun for references to the demon instead of It/Its. I hate editing 😭 (rn at least)

WIP: May Death Find You Alive

#WIPSnips
Two classes passed before he could take off to the factory downtown and do his due diligence for his paycheck. Tomorrow, the cycle would repeat. And so would the day after that. It wasn't until the third day that William found himself in the grove where the whole mess started. The area looked completely scorched and dead. The summoning circle had been washed away in the spring rain yesterday. The grass was dead post-controlled burning. Just black in a bleakly light new moon. He wasn't sure how to get ahold of the demon again. Did he perform a new summoning circle? Did he just... wait? Did he call out? The demon didn't really give instructions on how to get ahold of it, much to William's annoyance.
November 19, 2025 at 7:44 PM
nashbirdwrites.bsky.social
Formatting’s off but we ignore it for the post. Trying to use Ellipsus on a laggy old phone without WiFi is asking for trouble (and it was. I deleted several paragraphs by accident)

Still, I love the “accidental” banter between the demon and William.

#WIPSnips

Project: May Death Find You Alive
"You spend a lot of time stressed. Keeping your rage and frustration bottled up is only going to lead to stomach issues." Arthrax called from the kitchen. The demon had apparently found a nest of pack mice behind his fridge and had spent the better part of hours trying to convince William to let it tear apart the machine to get to them. William, of course, told him he would rather go to hell than pay the damaged unit fees that would come with destroying an apartment provided fridge. When asked why by the demon, William simply said "Hell is free. A damaged fridge is $800".
November 17, 2025 at 3:56 PM
nashbirdwrites.bsky.social
It’s a warm 72° here in OKC and I have all the windows open to some degree. Very unusual for November.

Ramen is observing the cats in the field next door. I would open the window more but he’s popped the screen before trying to get to the cats lol
A black and white Shih Tzu stands on a set of doggy stairs by a slightly cracked window and watches the cats in the field next door.
November 16, 2025 at 6:08 PM
nashbirdwrites.bsky.social
I really love the evolution of Chester as a character. I had first written him as this sort of devily character with no moral compass and now he's this sort of flirt who loves to make Elise blush. If I ever finish this book, I know it's going to be so good.

#WIPSnips

Project: This Side of the Veil
"Soooo, what? Just going to get sloshed until then?" Elise rolled her eyes, comfortable in an environment where people could run in and break up a fight should one occur compared to the isolation of the shop. "Hadn't planned on it but if you're wanting to take advantage of my soon-to-be drunken state, I may just let you. I will warn you though, I do know my limits." The words rolled off his tongue and hit Elise's stomach in a way that nothing else had seemed to before. A blush crawled across her face, which she hoped was covered by the dim lighting at the serving bar. A devilish grin crept across his face, telling her he knew exactly what he was doing.
November 16, 2025 at 5:25 PM
nashbirdwrites.bsky.social
She may hide it well but Elise is a bulldog when allowed to chomp. However, when it comes to social situations where delicacy is needed, she can learn to quit baring her teeth for a moment.

WIP: This Side of the Veil

#WIPSnips
"You can call me Chester." "Not your real name?" She crossed her arms. She knew only one Chester and it was Chester Anatham. Super wealthy, old money type. Big philanthropist and imp rights' activist. It couldn't be the same one. It would have helped if she knew what the famous Anatham looked like, but she hadn't had time to watch any sort of news or reality television in a long while. She would have to look him up once this guy was gone. "It works well enough for operating within society." He smirked at her. "So, Kreature said you were here to take in the shop or something or another. What are you looking for, exactly? Maybe I can help point the way." He merely chuckled at her comments and her usual fake smile fell a little. She would admit, she was tired, nervous, and her defensive sarcasm was chomping at the bits to be unleashed in self-defense. "I'm here to see if your shop can handle producing the quantities that we need or if you'll need to come down to our warehouse. I'm also here to inspect your gardening-" "Herbology." She cut in. She hated it when people not immersed in the field called it gardening. She didn't go to Academy for gardening. She went for herbology.
November 8, 2025 at 6:13 PM
nashbirdwrites.bsky.social
Hi I don’t think credit card companies should be allowed to charge you interest if you pay the card off that month.

Signed, someone who just received a $10 interest charge on their credit card that they paid off last week.
A screenshot of a credit card transaction screen showing a pay off of the card on Oct. 31 for $498.99 and then another charge on Nov. 4 for interest in the total of $9.78.
November 5, 2025 at 1:35 PM
nashbirdwrites.bsky.social
I just found out one my best online friends is coming to OKC next fall for an academic conference and we finally get to meet!!! I am VERY excited! AND my insurance finally approved my cardiac stress test after three weeks and my 28 day cardiac monitor! This is turning out to be a good day!
A little bean-like creature blushing and holding its hands out in front of it in a cute/flirty position.
November 4, 2025 at 9:15 PM
nashbirdwrites.bsky.social
Today’s mood so far:
A crudely drawn cartoon figure sitting down with its hands brought together in front of it looking mildly despondent.
November 4, 2025 at 5:54 PM
nashbirdwrites.bsky.social
Me: *chronic high heart rate*

Cardiologist: *doesn’t think anything’s wrong but humors me and orders cardiac tests anyway*

Insurance: Hmmm, but is there actually anything enough to warrant this? We don’t really wanna pay for a 28 day cardiac monitor and stress test.

Me:
A screenshot of a heart rate of 120 while sitting and a resting overnight heart rate of 106.
October 28, 2025 at 6:40 PM
nashbirdwrites.bsky.social
Happy to drop references! Here’s my OC Kali. She’s a calico cat.
A character sheet showing a calico cat with medium brown hair in a ponytail with side swept bangs. A picture of Kali, a calico cat fursona wearing a motorcycle jacket doing a Chat Noir pose from Miraculous Ladybug.
October 26, 2025 at 7:33 AM
nashbirdwrites.bsky.social
I’ve got two!

Alt text included.
A Canva made moodboard with various witchy photos superimposed on a night sky background with a forest near the bottom. Stars are lit up across the night sky and the book title “May Death Find You Alive” is in the top left corner in Orange. The color palate for the book is in the center of the interconnected images grating black, bright red, a very dark aquamarine, and a dark forest green. A Canva made moodboard featuring a mix of potion making images, cocktail shakers, and custom art of the two main character Chester and Elise. The title of the book, This Side of the Veil, is prominent in the top center of the moodboard.
October 24, 2025 at 10:11 PM
nashbirdwrites.bsky.social
Thanks bud, didn’t need that cat food out anyway.

#NekoAtsume2
A screenshot of Neko Atsume 2 of Tubbs the cat giving his moment which is fish jerky.
October 22, 2025 at 5:13 PM
nashbirdwrites.bsky.social
Do not ask how many times I had to retake this screenshot because I realized my cursor was caught in the image somewhere. 🫠

This is where the political intrigue and cultural drama starts to come into play and it's SO GOOD. I love multi-arch stories.

WIP: This Side of the Veil

#WIPSnips
A screenshot with the following text: "Oh sure, blame me for it." She snapped. That was the line in the sand to light up her second cigarette. "Not blaming you, calm down. Honestly." He chided as he rolled his eyes. "He normally is more in control of himself with his fire magic. He trained far too long in those safety courses to not have control. I have seen him explode a few times though when something really sets him off. Like someone not doing what he wants for example." "Great. I love being a trigger for people." She deadpanned. "Now, your turn. What's the 'Big Plan' as it were? Great Plan? Whatever." Elise took a deep inhale to prepare herself mentally for whatever news was about to drop. "The big plan is that he is in cahoots with the city council to let the Veil fall completely around Drury and to trial run a merging of the magical and Blank world together over New York City. Mage and Blank, living amongst each other. He's convinced that if he can do it, everyone can. Never mind the money or being raised across the Veil or being able to attend both University and Academy. None of that apparently factored into his thought process." He waived his hand dismissively and threw down the butt of his second stick before rubbing it out with his shoe. The news sat on top of her brain like a puddle that wouldn't drain. The Veil? The thing separating mage from Blank? The thing barely holding on by a thread and keeping their society together? Surely Chester wouldn't be stupid enough to do something like that, would he?
October 19, 2025 at 3:43 PM
nashbirdwrites.bsky.social
Ah shit, I left my cursor visible in the shot. If you didn't notice it before, you do now. You're welcome :)

WIP: May Death Find You Alive

#WIPSnips

Wish me luck as I dredge up 15 new ideas to figure out what project to work on for for November's writing challenge. Not aiming for 50k but still...
"Well, that's what the cultists are for. I'm sure they're doing something. Nothing to concern myself with. I have more important things to do than worry about my image." "Like hanging around some dude's appointment and harassing him about making totems?" "That is the definition of my job." "Love to have your job, then." The comment was meant to be sarcastic, but Arthrax immediately perked up. "While I can't just make you one of us, I could bring you into the fold and give you a much easier life where you had very little responsibilities but to keep my chaos unfolding. I didn't know you were interested in a life like that." "I'm not. I was being sarcastic." He tried to frame it as even heeled as he could, but he saw a mildly but visibly frustrated Arthrax head to the window to throw out more rat corpses. He supposed if nothing else, it was doing a good job of keeping the pests down. He still wished he lived in a place without a mouse and roach problem. At least he had dodged the roaches for now, he guessed. He finished cleaning the grasper and sat it in the drying rack before going back to his couch and rubbing his temples as the headache continued to pound in his skull.
October 18, 2025 at 11:11 PM
nashbirdwrites.bsky.social
Here’s a much more recent picture after his latest run in with the groomer lol

They took is center part hair flop :(
October 17, 2025 at 7:44 PM
nashbirdwrites.bsky.social
My mom called Ramen ugly. Look at this little man. Look at how handsome he is!
A black and white shih tzu stares directly into the camera. His hair is mid length from completely shaved to super fluffy. The hair is curly expect for the head where he has a 90s center part and it falls on either side of his face. His name is Ramen.
October 17, 2025 at 3:23 PM
nashbirdwrites.bsky.social
Do not judge me for my malicious use of semi colons. I just like them, okay? I have decided to be that person who makes punctuation what I make it. Screw the Chicago Style Book! (Kidding!)

WIP: This Side of the Veil

#WIPSnips
"Speaking of believable, I believe I am owed a payment. 1,500 marks to be exact." She stepped out of the bedroom, her hair still a mess but fully dressed. "Clever." He almost sounded impressed. "Of course, I brought the payment with me, but we still have some matters to discuss." He patted his suit pocket and then crossed his arms over it. If she had known she was going to be subjected to this before payment, she might not have taken the job to begin with. "And what would that be?" She crossed her arms back and cocked her hips to the side. "The job; are you taking it or not?" "If you can spin a good enough story that my boss won't fire me over and without exposing what I'm doing, then yeah." "Great. And when you make the potions, be sure and sprinkle in some extra effects in some of them but mark which ones are which. We get extra money for enhancements and some of that could be yours if you play your cards right." "Done and done. Anything else?" "Your check." He pulled out a folded paper check and handed it over to her who gleefully pocketed it in her bra for safe keeping. Chester made a face and started to say something but decided against it. Elise
October 16, 2025 at 12:56 PM
nashbirdwrites.bsky.social
Day late and dollar short. Chester has changed a lot from when I first wrote him. He’s definitely humanized a lot from the cold malicious lady killer (literally) I wrote him as before. It’s been nice to mess with character development.

WIP: This Side of the Veil

#WIPSnips
"Herbology." She cut in. She hated it when people not immersed in the field called it gardening. She didn't go to Academy for gardening. She went for herbology. "Herbology." He cut his eyes from examining the shop to take her in and then smirked again. "-to see if you might take over our potion creation. We make a little of everything, but our last person has moved up in rank. So, we're looking for new blood." "I see." Her nerves were starting to get the best of her, especially with the way he looked at her. One arm across her chest and the other with the elbow supper in her hand and her hand on her neck. "So, care to give me a tour?" He flashed what appeared to be a genuine smile and gestured to the open air of the store. "Sure, where do you want to start?" She uncrossed her arms and internally gave herself a shake. "Dealer's choice." He offered. "Okay, then we'll start in here. So, this room is the front of the shop. It’s where I…”
October 16, 2025 at 12:54 PM
nashbirdwrites.bsky.social
Curious! I don’t have a “home feed tuner”. Are you iOS or Android by chance? I’m on iOS and my options stop at Following. I wonder if this is an app version thing.
A screenshot of a menu list from Pinterest. A list of followed accounts from my Pinterest but main interest is the menu bar showing my options for privacy.
October 15, 2025 at 7:30 PM
nashbirdwrites.bsky.social
I missed the actual screen showing Melange with their momento. But I’m playing Neko Atsume 2 after beating 1 (twice) and I just got my first momento!
A screenshot from Neko Atsume 2 showing Melange’s momento: a cotton scarf. The descriptive text reads “A soft scarf. The back is embroidered with some sort of words.” The scarf is blue and tied into a circle.
October 15, 2025 at 7:14 PM
nashbirdwrites.bsky.social
Two results today. First one was confusing without context. And yes, this is a play on Masterchef. I like reality cooking competitions okay 😭

WIP: This Side of the Veil

#WIPSnips
It was a kind gesture; she had to admit. He knew her side hustle and extra income had just basically evaporated out of thin air. Plus, she kind of enjoyed the job. It was a little disappointing not to go in and chat with Jessica or with her regulars. She wondered what they were up to. "Potioneers, today we're making a seduction potion! The ultimate forbidden desire. What sort of tricks of the trade can we whip up today?" The lead judge's voice cut across her thoughts as she held the check and watched a fly hover around her pizza. "Tsk, shoo." She swatted at the fly and sat the check down. "Phone?" She patted the couch around her to find her connection to the world, eventually finding it under her plate of pizza. She went through her bank and deposited the funds, watching the check disintegrate before her eyes, confirming that yes, once again, he was good for it. She watched as the dust disappeared into the air in her apartment as the thought occurred to her she really should thank him for the gap payment until Mick could reopen the bar and put her back on rotation. Before she could talk herself into texting first, her phone vibrated.
October 14, 2025 at 8:18 PM
nashbirdwrites.bsky.social
I had multiple uses of this but this one was the coolest in terms of drama lol

Chapter One, scene one, sentence one, draft zero 🤭

WIP: May Death Find You Alive

#WIPSnips
Shaky hands, a lighter in one hand, and a white chalk in the other. These were all that stood between him and a dangerous life-altering decision... if it worked. Most people would chalk summoning demons to urban legends. For him, he knew it could be done. He knew it was real. However, his family, the people that could mentor him in such a task, no longer spoke to him. It broke his heart to know they cut ties over something so stupid, but what was done was done. He was forever shunned from his circle. He had to find a new way to get what he wanted, no, needed. So, he drug the chalk across the grass, leaving a shaky white line. He meticulously looked back at his notes, making sure to dot all his i's and cross all of his t's, metaphorically speaking. The candles on the pedestals were lit next. All that was left was the chant. His vocal cords slammed themselves shut at the thought of actually going through with this. But, if he really wanted this, he needed to push forward. He stood at the edge of the circle; Moonlight bright above him. The wind blew so casually that it chilled the sweat running down his back on the warm summer night. Clearing his throat, he started,
October 13, 2025 at 5:08 PM
nashbirdwrites.bsky.social
I may have been forced out of grad school due to financials but that doesn’t mean the books I bought for my thesis have to go to waste.

Maybe reading’ll make me feel better.
A black Kobo Libra Colour is being held above a lap. The cover of “Anti-Fandom: Dislike and Hate in the Digital Age” is being shown in muted colors on the Kobo.
October 13, 2025 at 12:43 AM
nashbirdwrites.bsky.social
When you're raised in a magical world but hardly have any magic of your own, a simple muting charm can be pretty impressive, I guess.

WIP: This Side of the Veil

#WIPSnips
“Hi, welcome to Fullcrest Potions! How can I help?” She burst through the beaded curtain and locked eyes with the man in the lobby. Tall, blonde hair, and wearing a black suit, the man oozed arrogance and power. Before he even said a word, he took out a wand from his sleeve and waved it over himself and then pointed it at her. She immediately felt the noise level in the shop drop by ninety percent. The enchanted equipment’s hum was now deafened and the air conditioner running in the humid summer heat was now gone. She was pretty sure even the faint buzz of the electricity was gone as well now. The only sound was his footsteps inching towards her and the sound of the blood rushing in her ears.
October 11, 2025 at 4:52 PM