The hunt before Christmas

TheMoldySausage | satire | Complete

Santa Claus is real, but he doesn't deliver presents, he hunts Yetis.

0.13 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-29 18:16

Entangled Fates Book 1 - Quantum Beginnings

Joe Kuster | sci_fi | Complete

"By far, the greatest danger of Artificial Intelligence is that people conclude too early that they understand it." Eliezer Yudkowsky Hey all, we're moving over to book 2. This content is in a state of transition. The book is now availble on Amazon (includes extra chapters): https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07W1534R8/ Artificial intelligence was nearly mankind's last invention. AI took off like a rocket, then when it racked up an impressive death toll, it crashed before it could blossom and took most high-tech industries with it. Resistance and fears became deep-set. Two decades after the infamous Rev. 4.6 incidents, humanity hasn't quit dreaming of the wealth and power that could be at their fingertips. A new generation of mega-corporations rose from the ashes. When one melds a quantum computer to a barely functional mental patient as a PR move, there are those who seek to profit, those who want to destroy it, and Alex. Alex Sage is a typical college student trying to keep up his grades and maybe find a meaningful connection with the fairer sex. Then, an automated semi crashes into his home, killing his family and turning his head into a pin cushion in the process. Alex awakens to find most of his memories gone and an illegal AI hidden in his brain implant. Now the pet project of a tech billionaire and heavily in debt, Alex struggles to stay valuable enough to be kept online. Still grappling with the repercussions of his injuries, and threats from a dangerous anti-augmentation political movement, there are no easy answers and threats loom around every corner. Alex must use whatever resources he can to escape from under the thumb of a ruthless corporation, while keeping those he comes to love safe. Chapters will stay up on RRL until Aug 10. It'll go up on Kindle Unlimited after that. How do you get those extra chapters I didn't have planned for RR? If you want them, they'll be in the published book. Book 2 will still make sense without them - I made sure of that. But... isn't $3 a lot for extra chapters? Think of it as tipping me for a good job and you'd also be getting my eternal thanks. If you enjoyed it so much that the idea of missing out a few chapters haunts you, I did my job as an author and made an engaging story. What's in those extra chapters? Resolving a few issues, set up for the cybernetic revolution, a rather intense sex scene with a new partner, revelations of who's really pulling strings, and a bit of set up for book 2. Complaints that people missed out on itwhen it was published here won't help (sorry!). I posted this for the folks who helped me shape the book, which is you all! (Again, yay!) But... Why! Why not keep it all on RR forever? My editor likes being paid for one. For two, I'd like the ability to get broader readership. If I break even on editor costs, I'll be incredibly happy. What about book 2? Drafts for Book 2 will go up around Sept 10. My draft of Book 2 is done, and it will be handed to the editor once Book 1 is published. Feedback has been even more positive. Beta readers devoured it and wanted more. I'll add a link to Book 2 once it's up on RR. I'm more or less, using you all for Beta Readers, so you get it before it's "canon" and edited. I invite active and meaningful feedback during this process. In return, you get early access to chapters. That does mean that the book content or plot might be adjusted before it gets published as I refine it. Sex Y/N? Yes. I heard the feedback, 90% wanted it explicit. You all will get the "full" experience. Will I dump all of book 2 here? Honestly, I'm not sure yet. At a minimum, it'll be up to the 75% mark as we collect feedback, much like what I did with book 1. It really depends on how good the feedback is and how nice people are. Lots of support + meaningful feedback to make it better =higherlikelihood you get all the book. Will be it up here indefinitely? No, it'll probably go up on KU at some point, but I'll make sure there's enough time for a large readership to grab it here. Then we move to book 3 which already is around 60K words already. What about other adventures in the same universe/characters? Yep. Absolutely. Nothing ready to share yet though. I plan to keep those side chapters and more slice of life stories as RR exclusive. Since I'm carving this off in book-sized segments, I'll have to figure out where those disconnected story arcs belong. I'm open to suggestions.

7.36 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-29 18:19

The Out of this World Adventures of a Jellyfish Trucker

TealiciousTea | one_shot | Complete

A jellyfish in space. Also, cats, tea, AI with blue boxes, mech-bunny suit, giant duck, ape space pirates and more. I promise two of these things are true: melodrama, self-insert protagonist and a complete three-part story.

4.86 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-29 18:22

Trapped: The GM

Troll | tragedy | Complete

[Participating in the NaNoWriMo]"Damn you Josh! How could you mess up this badly? Now I will somehow have to sit out the shitstorm that麓s to come..." ~GMThis is the story of a GM and 3012 players who were one day trapped in a virtual reality game. Watch as people in power make bad choices which may or may not lead to the worst possible outcome. ___________________________________There will be some cursing and swearing, a tiny bit of gore perhaps but nothing major. The story also deals with darker emotional things... the psycho and tragedy tags are there for a reason!I had only a months time to write this story and frankly that磗 the most creative writing I have ever done in my life. 50k words I can磘 believe I did it. Thanks everyone. Without your support I doubt I would have made it.Please support me by pointing out logical errors and the things you didn磘 like about the story. As it磗 a rushed work I am aware that it has many flaws.

28.04 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-29 18:27

The Fall

DarthKirby | tragedy | Complete

Perhaps the most well known of all devils, demons, or fallen angels is the one known as Lucifer, Satan, the Father of Lies. The cultural influence of this figure throughout history is by no means small. Despite that, it wasn't until the time of Milton's classic  Paradise Lost  that we saw an attempt to portray a dramatized version of the events leading to this figure's fall from grace and power. And while this is the case, Paradise Lost is not about Lucifer  though it goes into great detail about his potential musings. No, Paradise Lost was, and still is, about the fall of mankind. So, in light of this, and the feeling that the classical story deserved another telling, I present to you all The Fall  a story focused particularly on Lucifer's fall from grace and his musings both before and after.

4.75 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-29 18:30

Pursuing the Demon Lord

Randoman | comedy | Complete

Chet is your average college student. He works at a part time job to help pay for his education and clips coupons on the weekends to help save a few dollars when he goes shopping. However, dreams of a simple life and working at a decent job are quickly tossed aside as he finds himself transported into what he assumes to be a fantasy world! Everything was going exactly as he expected it to go, as he had read a few novels describing situations exactly like the one he found himself in. But those expectations are quickly thrown out the window when the Demon Lord herself shows up for a surprise visit! Perhaps this land of fantasy isn't so fantastical after all. (Updates whenever this funky cat completes a chapter.)

28.52 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-29 18:58

August Wind

JoyceMatula | historical | Complete

On an August night in 1976, a single phone call pulls Maggie Peter's into a reality she never expected to face. The tragic death of her childhood friend, Daniel, leaves her caught between his two remaining brothers. One is her best friend and the other is her crush. Hard questions are asked, only a few are answered. How strong is love? How much does it cost?

18.23 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-21 18:35

Born Broken

Sakinah B | tragedy | Complete

You can connect over coffee. Connect through pain. Connect with someone's smile or with their tears. It can be that simple. But sometimes it's not.

1.66 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-22 12:34

Cheater's Play

Mad Sadie | one_shot | Complete

The final game in a chess tournament doesn't go quite as anyone planned... A short story.

0.56 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-22 13:43

Cereal

Keyori | one_shot | Complete

A boy ventures into his kitchen for a late night snack.

1.01 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-22 13:43

Beatrice Santello

Blue Draggy | tragedy | Complete

An adult imagining of Beatrice Santello's life prior to the events of Night in the Woods. There are no explicit depictions of sex here, though there are obviously adult themes and situations involving it. I wasn't going to post it to Royalroad as I didn't think Fanfiction was okay here - but now I see it is and I am quite convinced it is the best work I've ever done yet, I've got to see what any fans of NitW think about it! The first chapter was originally written as a short vignette and wasn't intended to be continued into a full blown story. It was just intended to be moody and evocative. Even though anyone that has played Night in the Woods has a good idea how this must end, I hope it will still be worth the read. Also, since I've finished writing it, I'm going to post it as one big chapter dump all at once. Cover drawing by GreasyMojo and colored by me (with permission!). I don't think it should be too risque on it's own but I suppose I'll soon find out.

11.25 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-22 13:52

This great witch's little blog

Critical-meltdown1 | contemporary | Complete

This great witch will write some short stories from my life here. Updates will be irregular

7.79 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-22 14:09

They Came From Beneath 6th Avenue

ExecutiveVampire | horror | Complete

When weird things come to town, so does Fernando Alvarez. Something is taking the people of Mountain Home, but no one knows what. Or at least no one knows now. What was supposed to be a joint investigation between Alvarez and the town's police goes awry when the local detective investigating the missing persons goes missing too. It's too convenient, is Alvarez dealing with something that's more than just a blood thirsty monster?

3.80 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-22 14:30

The Promise of Yuuko Asahino: Volume 3

OceansInTheSky | contemporary | Complete

Even though it's their first day of high school, Yuuko and Yuya are already late, but things begin to change when Yuya encounters a blonde boy being pummeled to the ground. "Are you okay Luka?" Can the thoughts of two strangers have any affect on a boy who has none for himself-- "You see New Kid, a community is made of like-minded people. Like-minded people work well together, they support each other.....when someone acts out from the group, they destroy the balance." --especially in a case where someone may not want to move at all?

22.12 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-22 15:27

unconditional love - a vignette

maxxli | contemporary | Complete

what it means to love someone that no one else can

0.08 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-22 15:27

Second God

Akmedrah | drama | Complete

Humanity has a god, as does every race, but in the beginning, he gave up on his creation. Cthulhu found these disregarded souls and took care of them in his own fashion. Now, the dark one rises from the depths once more to lead humanity in their first interspecies interactions.

19.17 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-22 15:35

No Moon

officialleehadan | sci_fi | Complete

Vree liked his humans. They were kind, clever, and tended to be adorable, in the way that a small, particularly spiny cub was adorable right before it bit you. Of course, small adorable cubs usually couldn’t shapeshift or burst into flame whenever it suited them. Tusca hired a teenager on a whim, and a doctor because they were old friends. Unfortunately, nothing is ever simple when a Red Baron is at the helm.

18.04 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-22 16:19

To the Valley of the Salt Sparrow Heart: More than Just the Prince of Pirates

The Jester in Red | one_shot | Complete

Famous poet and self-proclaimed adventurer, Orion Auslandin, sets off on a journey to find the mythical Valley of the Salt Sparrow Heart and prove that there is more to him than simply being the son of the Pirate King. Inspired by ancient poetry and a journal entry from a long dead author, Orion hires a crew to aid him in his quest of discovery. Along the way they face down pirates that wish to capture him, strange creatures that inhabit the island, and dangerous waters.

5.91 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-22 16:24

The Rejection

M. R. Aze | tragedy | Complete

A short story of choice, love, pain and consequences.

0.67 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-26 16:43

Friday Night Food Heist

nicoshaw | contemporary | Complete

TheFriday Night Food Heistis fraught with danger, but some boys will do anything for free pizza. Ross Cameron is sick and tired of boring Friday nights. Of course, with friends like Mac, there's always the chance of a more exciting development. On this occasion, it's the chance of free food at the expense of someone nobody likes. The only problem - Mac's plan requires military precision to pull off and could leave the boys facing the wrath of the most dangerous man in the neighbourhood.

4.84 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-22 16:51