Sage like the Pumpkin Spice
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sagecollins.bsky.social
Sage like the Pumpkin Spice
@sagecollins.bsky.social
440 followers 150 following 3.6K posts
Mad scientist, testing H2O to keep it safe from supervillains & polluters. Prolly posting about writing, workouts, games/tv, or cats. Maybe about mud. She/her. No LLMs/AI allowed
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sagecollins.bsky.social
The final decomposition of Nico (more peaceful than you would expect)

#WIPSnips #WriteSky #WritingCommunity
From Ace of Cups 🔮🏕️
Black text, green background, “week” highlighted pink Mom tried keeping it cold in the house at first, to delay the inevitable. It wasn't a mercy. Nico needed to get to skeletonization to return to his sense of sanity. Neither he nor I were fooled by Mom's attempts to glamour him. It couldn't mask the smell. It couldn't hide the feel of the tissues deteriorating as bacteria finally found him. He came to me and asked for me to help. And as disgusted as I was by the knowledge of what he was, I also knew who he was. It was summer break and the weather was ungodly hot outside, if not in the Arctic Circle that was our house. I took him camping. I hate camping as a rule, but he loved it. I will definitely not be going camping again. Far from Mom, her glamour couldn't reach him, so I watched the whole thing. Nico laying down on the forest floor, letting the bugs and bacteria and fungi take what was left of him. He was a green witch, and it made sense that here, perhaps, he could get some rest. I knelt by him and sang his favorite songs, watching the peace fill what was left of his face. Watching the rest of his tissues deteriorate. I only stopped singing to take care of my basic needs, eating, drinking, sleeping, and so on. He could go without, but I was still human. We were there all WEEK. When we walked out of the forest, I had no voice left, and he had nothing but bones.
November 14, 2025 at 8:38 AM
sagecollins.bsky.social
I joined the crowd and did a #bubbel
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November 14, 2025 at 3:38 AM
sagecollins.bsky.social
Melody has definitely not guessed right

Meanwhile, there’s another match in this scene that Lilia’s failed to spot

#WIPSnips #WriteSky #WritingCommunity
From Ace of Cups 🔮💘
Black text, green background, “build” highlighted pink He's not the only one who's happy he's here. "Nico!" Melody screams from across the hall, and I wince. Guess we're not keeping a low profile about my brother. I probably should have warned her he was coming. She's all blues as she runs up to him and grabs him in a hug so hard, I'm worried she's going to rearrange his bones. "Okay, that was weird." She laughs. He can't laugh, but his mouth and chest make the motions anyway, his eyes dancing. She shoves me playfully. "You didn't want to tell me Nico was back at school?" "I just found out he was coming this morning, and I have other things to think about. Where's my post-New Year's resolution slash pre-Valentine's Day crowd?" "Oh, you know they'll swarm us during lunch." "They better." I'm counting on the money we make this season. I only have one semester before graduation, and this is my best chance to build up the money I need to get out of here. "Once Queen K uses your services..." She spins her lock. "You know she's dying to. She can't be single for the Valentine's Day dance. They're selling tickets next week. I think she's actually on the dance committee and how would that look? There's no way she'll go the whole day without finding out her match. Who do you think it is?" "I can't just pull these things out of midair." She pouts. "It's fun to speculate before you know. I have my guess."
November 13, 2025 at 8:48 AM
sagecollins.bsky.social
Thanks for this chance to show off how adorkable Nico is

#WIPSnips #WriteSky #WritingCommunity
From Ace of Cups 🔮🧑‍🌾
Black text, green background, “shirt” x2 highlighted pink "Get in, loser, we're going to school," I say with a grin, all hints of annoyance gone. I can't deny my brother the freedom he craves, when he's standing there all full of hope. He bounces on the balls of his feet--or his metatarsals, whatever. "You going in your pjs?" He lifts up a finger and his clothes change from the pajamas he was wearing (why? He doesn't sleep, but it gives him a sense of normalcy) to a t-SHIRT and jeans. He has clothes in his dresser that he can't wear anymore, but the glamour that makes him look human gives him the ability to make whatever clothes he wants, and this t-SHIRT is a replica of one from last year's Christmas wishlist. The heather green tee announces, “I love gardening from my head to-matoes." "That's better than your Captain America pjs?" He gives me a thumbs up.
November 12, 2025 at 9:23 AM
sagecollins.bsky.social
Convincing you to read my novel by the first sentence. Share yours if you want!

From the WIP…
Of all the emotions that war inside me when Mom says, "Lilia, take Nico to school with you," I'm annoyed to find that pity for my undead brother beats out anger at the suggestion.
November 11, 2025 at 6:07 PM
sagecollins.bsky.social
Blake would be cat (see below).

It’s Ren who would be the puppy, begging for attention & jumping on the furniture with his big puppy dog eyes so hopeful you’ll give him some love.

#Novmemeber #WriteSky #WritingCommunity
Ren perks up. "Animals? Is Joy turning you into a dog? I'll scratch your ears all the time, Blake! You will always get a treat, and a belly rub if you want it." "A cat. Nothing to do but stretch out on the bed and sleep all day." "Boring." "But you'd still scratch my ears, right?" The moment it's out, I swallow and flip on to my back so I'm not looking at him. I'm overreacting, I know I am. But it's asking him for affection, in earshot of Joy, no less. "And give you catnip," he says, giving me an out. "You should be a crazy cat who plays with me all the time." "You should be a crazy cat who plays all the time." "Your *face* should be a crazy cat who plays all the time," he finishes on cue.
November 11, 2025 at 1:42 PM
sagecollins.bsky.social
Sometimes it’s hard to remember that Ace was BigBad-lite in book 1

Grabbing from Hero/Villain 🦹🏼🍔 because I knew there was a burger there

#WIPSnips #WriteSky #WritingCommunity
Black text, green background, “hamburger” highlighted blue "Now, now, don't bite the hand that feeds." He's pale and gaunt, and his eyes have this real hungry look in them, so I know he wants this hamburger. He's staring at it like he might actually bite off my hand to get it. I put it in his hands. "Having a bad day?" he asks, a slight mocking tone in his voice as he scarfs down the hamburger. Seriously need to feed this boy more. I mean, not too much more. I don't want to get him strong enough to be able to teleport his way out of here. Initially, I had to keep him drugged up long enough to get him in this state, but, now, between the lack of food and the blood-draining, he's too weak to disappear on me and get help. Not that I feel particularly like feeding him when he's throwing me attitude every five seconds. If I wasn't so scared of tainting his blood, I'd make him drink gallons of Pure East and shut him up. I respond quickly. "What makes you say that?" He manages a small grin, ketchup dripping down his chin like blood on a vampire. "I could hear you. Bang bang stomp stomp stomp. Superheroes stop you? Or did a girl reject you? Maybe your precious 'Dad' stopped falling for your game. So what was it?" "Like I'm going to tell you."
November 11, 2025 at 10:49 AM
sagecollins.bsky.social
The Council sucks, but I approve of their meeting place

#WIPSnips #WriteSky #WritingCommunity
From Ace of Cups 🔮📚
Black text, green background, “local” highlighted pink The Council isn't like a formal government entity or anything. It's more like the board of a club. A big club that has members throughout this community. Each community has its own LOCAL magical governing board, and each does things their own way. It's part of why I want to get out of town. The left hand doesn't talk to the right hand, and I'd be an unknown anywhere else. Anyway, when Council has any business, it's to the library they go, gathering in a meeting room in the back that has enough space for the whole Council and whomever they're speaking to. Plus, there's a white board and a large computer screen, if they want to do a presentation.
November 10, 2025 at 9:04 AM
sagecollins.bsky.social
Azura’s empathic & she can’t sense Nico’s feelings (like Lilia can’t see his aura). As far as I know, at this time, there is nothing nefarious about Nico

#WIPSnips #WriteSky #WritingCommunity
From Ace of Cups 🔮🙃
Black text, green background, “picture” highlighted pink "It's hard to gauge what he's feeling. I mean, it was clear he was concerned about you when you passed out, but there was something...off about it. Like he wasn't actually feeling anything." "There is no universe in which Nico wasn't feeling concerned about me after I passed out." "No, that makes sense. It just was like I was seeing the picture, but unable to really feel the emotion behind it." Okay, enough talking about the oddness of my brother. It'd be nice to have one witch in town who doesn't think my family is toxic waste. "Do you have any siblings?"
November 9, 2025 at 12:56 PM
sagecollins.bsky.social
He's just the cutest skeleton you ever met

#WIPSnips #WriteSky #WritingCommunity
From Ace of Cups 🔮🕺
Black text, white background, “little” highlighted pink Let him at least have a day of feeling normal, if he's going to go through the motions. Speaking of which... "We should get you to the admin office, get your schedule and locker." This does a great job of distracting him from the reading. He does a silly little dance, blows Melody a kiss, then grabs one of my hands to pull me towards the office. Mom's glamour does so many things well, masking the bones with the appearance of muscle and skin and hair and clothing. The illusion mimics his mannerisms, too, his facial expressions exactly the ones I expect from him. But when we get close enough to touch, there's no doubt that from metacarpals to phalanges, those are bones woven between my fingers. Mom's a glamour witch, not a creator of flesh and muscle. And Dad gave him a life of sorts, sealing his soul in what was left of his body. But neither of them is a miracle worker.
November 8, 2025 at 9:07 AM
sagecollins.bsky.social
By done, she means "decomposing."

#WIPSnips #WriteSky #WritingCommunity
From Ace of Cups 🔮💀
But Nico was a green witch. He wasn't meant to be cooped up in our house. Dead or not, he had too much energy to stay locked up. It was one thing when his body was falling apart with every movement, but now that he was done, he needed to go outside and run through the town, to work in the garden, to climb trees and take Jax to the doggy park and hang out with his friends and... Go to school.
November 7, 2025 at 3:37 PM
sagecollins.bsky.social
Lilia considers her own "uniform" and the uniform worn by the new girl in school

(hot off the presses; no judgement)

#WIPSnips #WriteSky #WritingCommunity
From Ace of Cups 🔮👔
They must be so bored of the outfit I wear to Council meetings. I pull the long-sleeved cream top from my closet and get busy working on the buttons for it. Traditionally, we're supposed to wear a skirt or a dress, but I have a pair of nice black pants that are so soft and shiny that I deemed them suitable two years ago, and they haven't complained yet. Finally, I pull on the black blazer that makes it truly the businesswear they expect from their witches. I finger the lapel of the blazer, thinking about how limiting having a dress code is and wondering why Azura's wearing a school uniform from another school. Instead of blending in, like she would have there, she stands out among the rest of us.
November 3, 2025 at 1:56 PM
sagecollins.bsky.social
Today is Luna's Gotcha Day (her Lunaversary)!

Here she is on the day I got her 😽
A gray and tan tortie sits in front of a matching husband pillow on top of a (mostly) peach and white quilt. She stares at the camera
November 3, 2025 at 3:50 AM
sagecollins.bsky.social
Fun, one of the fields changes. I wondered why fortnights.
So you'll hit your goal after: 46 days Which on mars would be? 46.36 sols
November 2, 2025 at 1:47 AM
sagecollins.bsky.social
Very nice, gives you the feel of the old November writing event.
Shows a graph with a diagonal line going from November 1 (not labeled) to November 30, rising from 0 to 60K. A tiny bar represents 1004 words on November 1 Goals > AWNoNo 2025 is at the top. Under is Overall progress Words left to go: 58,996 Your average pace so far is: 1,004 words per day So you'll hit your goal after 59 days Which works out to 4.20 fortnights Today's progress: Today is: day 1 of 30 Pace needed to hit your goal: 2,000 words per day Versus your average, you have: 996 words to go (get it going!) Progress circles for overall and daily word count vs total are shown.
November 2, 2025 at 1:06 AM
sagecollins.bsky.social
Continuing with “Ace Pride Week. Wrong answers only”

#WIPSnips #WriteSky #WritingCommunity
From Master/Puppet 🦹🏼💅
Black text, green background, “charge” highlighted blue But Evie saying my name that way... I curl my right hand into a fist, and my jagged nails bite into my palm. I bring that hand up to my face. My nails are too long and broken. There was a time they were perfectly manicured, I wouldn't have it any other way. Another symptom of what I've been reduced to. No. I am not worthless. I am not naked, beaten, cut, broken. That is not who I am. I am Ace Freaking Starr, and I won't lie here and take this. I push myself up with my good arm and painfully, slowly, quietly get to my feet. The knife lies beside me, and every movement to reach it is slow and quiet. I can't kill him forever, but maybe once is enough to take charge. I raise it and take two steps towards [BigBad].
October 22, 2025 at 8:05 AM
sagecollins.bsky.social
Blake did a working to switch places (ghost vs human) with Ren for his birthday. Ren’s coming to terms with some things

Ren’s not sensitive so he can’t see ghosts now that he’s human…but they can still always touch

#WIPSnips #WriteSky #WritingCommunity
From A Paranormal Bromance 3 👻🍃
Black text, green background, “second” x4 highlighted blue He stares at the table, and I've gone from time speeding up and slowing down to feeling every SECOND pass. Every SECOND we try not to think about it. Every SECOND he doesn't choose something to do. Every SECOND he wastes of his limited time as human. "I can't," he says softly. "I-I'm sorry." He pushes off the booth and runs out of the restaurant. Joy stays seated, maybe in shock, but I fly after him. It's the only thing I know how to do. He's outside the restaurant, crouched in the grass and tearing up stalks, like he wants to destroy something and that was the most harmless thing he could find. "Are you here?" he asks. "Yeah." He seems to know, even though he can't see, hear, or sense me. "I'm sorry, Blake. I'm sorry. This is amazing, but... it's not enough time. I don't have enough time." "I know," I say quietly. He pushes himself up and kicks at the grass. "I didn't have enough time! It was stolen from me! | wasn't supposed to die! I was supposed to have more time!" "I know, Ren." This tantrum's seventy-something years in the making - or at least several months, since he learned how he died - and he's probably due it, but I take his hand and unclench it from around the grass, which falls through my fingers to the ground. "I know," I whisper. "I know." He pulls me into him and somehow finds my shoulder to cry into. "It isn't fair. I was supposed to have more time."
October 21, 2025 at 8:27 AM
sagecollins.bsky.social
Having found out he’s alive, Evie’s let Ace have control of their shared shapeshifting body so they can get answers, & she’s afforded Danny all the protection. But, remember, poor Ace has been tortured for the entire book so far

#WIPSnips #WriteSky #WritingCommunity
From Master/Puppet 🦹🏼🔪
Black text, green background, “might” highlighted blue I raise my chin and say, "You can put away that knife. I won't hurt you." "Right. Your credibility is kind of shot." He steps in front of the closet, and the knife, shit, the knife, I can't stop looking at it. Still, I won't ask again. I won't beg. Not Danny. He doesn't know how to hold it. If I was Evie, she could disarm him fast. But still it's there, and I see him again and again and again, coming at me. I try to look elsewhere, anywhere. Oh. The mirror. Danny says, "Evie has some questions for you," but I'm lost in my reflection. I'm beautiful, gorgeous, perfect. My hair shines, long and white-hot. My face is untouched, both sides without carvings. Everything smooth and lovely. My chest is covered, but I can feel his initials removed from over my heart. My shoulders finally process how wonderful it is not to be hanging from the ceiling, not to have a bullet imbedded in the muscles. My nails are manicured. If I sigh, it's to clear the sob from my throat. Danny moves, and my attention snaps back to him, and I'm broken, naked, hideous again. I struggle to hold on to the form Evie gifted me with. I will not be that person in front of Danny. That thought allows me to keep my beauty. "Ace?" He MIGHT have said it several times. Very calmly, I say, "I'm not answering any questions until you put down the knife." There. I hold all the power. No begging.
October 16, 2025 at 8:23 AM
sagecollins.bsky.social
Completely invisible (but not literally) throughout his childhood, Ace really doesn’t believe he can be loved unless he’s brainwashing folks.

#WIPSnips #WriteSky #WritingCommunity
From Super/Human 🦹🏼🙅🏼
Black text, green background, “care” x 7 highlighted blue. "Ace." Something about her tone makes me finally look up from my work. Her arms are crossed, and she's glaring at me. "Why did you rescue Bug?" "I didn't. You may remember that I got him captured, and then Evie rescued him. I didn't rescue anyone." "You dove out of a car and in front of a fireball for him!" I lower my eyes. "I needed to get back in, just like you said. I didn't save him." "You tried. I watched you try. Stop pushing us away. I throw the pliers across the room. "Why do you care so much why I did it? Stop making me out to be something I'm not. I'm no hero, do you hear me? And I don't have friends. All I need is me and Evie, got it? I don't care." "Ace..." she says, moving towards me. "No, I don't care. I don't care, I DON'T CARE!” I'm screaming, but that doesn't stop Nineteen from embracing me. I startle at her touch, but she doesn't let go. "You care way too much. You care so much that everyone, that anyone loves you that you can't handle it when they do. And I think it's the saddest thing I've ever seen." She creates seventeen copies of herself, all surrounding us in a hug.
October 15, 2025 at 8:06 AM
sagecollins.bsky.social
Oh, Ren, honey, you do deserve better!

#WIPSnips #WriteSky #WritingCommunity
From A Paranormal Bromance 3 👻😚
Black text, green background, “push” x3 highlighted blue Did he need me to PUSH him, the one time I didn't PUSH at all? I was so scared I'd PUSH him away. It'd just take one mistake, one confession of feelings he doesn't share to destroy the relationship we have, and I love that relationship too. I could've been happy without more. Every time I've considered what it'd be like to have him love me, what it'd be like to kiss him, I've replaced that thought with some sort of joke or prank. It's easy for me. I'm very good at redirecting my attention so I don't feel sad or scared. I have eighty years of practice. So I haven't let myself dwell on how much I wanted, at least once, to kiss that sarcastic mouth of his. Not like this, though. Not while he's drunk. Not while his head is swimming and his inhibitions are down and he sees me as myself for the first time in days and his questions are all right there in his brain begging to be answered and he's all, *Why not?* That's not love. It's just beer. I deserve better.
October 13, 2025 at 8:18 AM
sagecollins.bsky.social
Blake & Ren continue facing fears on their quest to make Ren alive again. I’m sure Blake’s right, & it’ll be fine…

#WIPSnips #WriteSky #WritingCommunity
From A Paranormal Bromance 👻🔋
Black text, green background, “battery” highlighted blue "Stay with me," I say, moving forward now that I can see. "Wouldn't be anywhere else," he whispers. "Where are we?" "The funeral home." I imagine we weren't anywhere until there was light enough to see, but now we're at the top of the stairs. "No. No no no. We're not going there." He wraps his arms around one of mine, as if he can stop me from going down. "Call off the quest." "Look, I know better than last time and you're already touching me, so we can't be facing the same thing. It's just scenery. Just a setting meant to scare us." I'm not talking about how my legs are shaking. It might be the setting that's creepy as hell. But it might be that there's one of the Lost down there, ready to take my emotions away and use my powers as a battery. Or it might just be Gram's dead body down on a slab, calling to me to mess with it.
October 9, 2025 at 8:12 AM
sagecollins.bsky.social
Joy froze Blake’s heart to keep a dark infection from reaching it, & if the boys touch, it will end her working. Obviously, this was near impossible for them 🤣

Oh, and Blake’s mom just found out about the occult/Ren

#WIPSnips #WriteSky #WritingCommunity
From A Paranormal Bromance 2 👻🫱🏻‍🫲🏼
Black text, green background, “safe” highlighted blue x2 My hands have barely broken the surface when Blake grabs them and pulls me out. "Blake," I gasp as there's a pop at his chest. I try to flail out of his grip, as if it's not too late. "No, no, no, your heart's going to start up." "It's okay. It's okay. Calm down. Look at me." I stop and look. The handprint stays the same, no new gray veins traveling across Blake's skin like he's a human Etch-a-Sketch. "You're SAFE," I whisper. "You're okay, you're SAFE, you can touch me." "You're such a dork." He wipes a tear off my cheek. "Joy and Kay already checked me over before I touched you. I'm not an idiot." "Yes, you are," I bawl. "You tried to touch me before you were fixed. You're a giant idiot!" "Your face is a giant idiot." "Blake," his mother says, and we both crack up.
October 7, 2025 at 11:43 AM
sagecollins.bsky.social
You might be impressed by my edited pile, until you see my unedited pile…
Two piles of papers with typed words on them sit on a wooden table. On the right, circled in blue, with purple, green, & pink mark-up on it, is a pile about a half-inch thick. “Edited” is written above it in blue. On the left, circled in red, is an inch-high pile with no ink. It says “Unedited” above it. Two packs of multi-colored pens lies between them.
October 4, 2025 at 5:52 PM
sagecollins.bsky.social
Sokkaboy’s going to be heartbroken when I take my quilt home with me

#AdventuresInCatSitting
A brown, black, & white tabby looks pleased as punch as he lies at my feet on on a quilt that’s mostly peach & white. He’s also managed to maneuver himself partially under the quilt
October 3, 2025 at 4:31 PM
sagecollins.bsky.social
lol, she found one & brought it, not to me, but to her “poof” that she likes to sit on, hoping I’ll return to the couch & smooch with her there like I have the past two weeks
A gray & white cat carries a yellow octopus toy in her mouth
October 3, 2025 at 3:43 PM