Ellen Geers Loftis

@lnloft.bsky.social

219 Followers 79 Following

Zookeeper. Writer. Mother of a bearded dragon and a golden. She/her I will give you animal facts and writing updates. Beta-reading services: https://www.fiverr.com/s/2ov26k

A scene with a smoke filled sky. The smoke hangs over every like a dirty cloud, and the sun glows orange from behind it.
It really was awful, wasn’t it? For money, for glory: Rin didn’t care. She didn’t want it. And the idea of doing it to help people… That had to be hopelessly naïve. Or foolhardy. Or… something. It just had to be a stupid idea. No one had helped Rin, after all. I don’t need to help anyone. I don’t owe anything. It had to be stupid, because if it wasn’t, it meant Rin might not have needed to do it alone before.
“You want to keep going to the Source?” Rin reached into her jacket and pulled out a knife. She used the tip to clean out under her fingernails. “Well, I don’t think I want to, exactly. But, you know, I’m already here, so if I went home now there’d be absolutely no point to the last few days. And I still need to get back at Djarah for kidnapping me—” “Did crashing the airship not count?” “No, it did not. Plus, that’s a lot of money Djarah’s paying, so I’m sure I could find some use for it. And, anyway, I’m still trying to work my way into Leanora’s favor, ‘cause you’ve always gotta hope, so…” Rin lightly pressed the tip of her knife against her palm, spinning it around without looking at Rosebird. “Well, I suppose those reasons are at least as good as Gorian’s,” Rosebird said. “What are his reasons?” “He wants to get really rich.” “Fair.” Rin looked up. “Don’t go thinking this means I like you all or anything. It’s just, you know, the practicalities of coming—that’s all.” Rosebird was examining her face. Rin quickly looked down, at the knife in her hands. She hefted it by the hilt. “How often do you tell the truth?” Rosebird asked. Rin shrugged. “Just enough to keep it interesting.”
Text in a white box that dissolves into the background image of a craggy, snow-capped mountain. The text reads: "Rin Kel Vran kept seventeen knives hidden on her person. That was, seventeen she was worried the coppers would find if they frisked her. Well, sixteen knives she was worried they would find, and one they definitely already knew about, because it was brandished bare in her hand, wet to the hilt with blood."
A golden retriever lying calmly on a bed with his head raised.
She unsheathed the largest knife at her hip and handed that over, hilt first. Then she dropped her forearm knife into her hand and passed that along, too. Off came her bandolier of throwing knives. She pulled six knives from the lining of her coat, removed three more from her belt, dug out one from against her back, and pulled a small one out from between her boot and ankle. She awkwardly reached under her shirt to get two she kept in the lining of her corset. “Sorry,” she muttered as she handed those over. “Didn’t mean to be crude.” Last, she unstrapped the one on her thigh and added that to the pile. The attendants looked at the assortment of blades and then at Rin. For once, their unflappable expressions looked a little perturbed. “Is that all of it?” “I think so,” Rin said. She frowned. “Oh, wait.” She reached across her chest and inside of her sleeve, and removed one more. “There.”
A black-and-white digital map of a fantasy world. The right two-thirds are large landmass, with most of it taken up by the country Candesia. There are a couple cities on the coast. A river runs from east to west, more or less cutting the country in half. The entire western border is a mountain range. The whole thing is plain, without any adornments to make it look fancy, but it is clean and sleek.
Djarah put her hand over her heart. "You're insane." "No, but I am angry." Rin cocked her head. "Which I suppose does make me mad, in a sense...”
Djarah put her hand over her heart. “You’re insane.” “No, but I am angry.” Rin cocked her head. “Which I suppose does make me mad, in a sense…”
“Well, I never was able to get those last few supplies,” Rosebird said as she approached a horse. “Oh well. We should be able to make do. They were more supplementary, anyway.” “Don’t you mean supply-mentary?” Rin asked. Rosebird snorted. “That is terrible, and I approve.”
A vampire bat in flight at night, its wings partially outstretched.
A headshot of a golden retriever in profile. He is giving a slight side eye to the camera, holding a stuffed animal as he grins.
She couldn’t stop the war. She couldn’t stop suffering, pain, starvation, grief. It was too big, too intrinsic to the world. She could never fix it all. Not being able to help everyone doesn’t mean it’s not worth it to help someone. It could never be perfect, but it could always be better. She thought of soft kindness, a gentle intent. A second chance to learn and to grow and do better.
An African penguin standing on some rock, looking up at the camera with a sassy expression.
A colored pencil drawing of a green frog looking in the distance. The coloring is very neat and full, making it almost look like paint.
A quote on a white rectangle that fades into a background of a jagged mountain. The quote is as follows: " Rin Kel Vran kept seventeen knives hidden on her person. That was, seventeen she was worried the coppers would find if they frisked her. Well, sixteen knives she was worried they would find, and one they definitely already knew about, because it was brandished bare in her hand, wet to the hilt with blood."
Two African penguins standing side by side in front of a rock face. They posing like they're trying to look intimidating.
A video of a golden retriever on a leash from behind, walking down the sidewalk. He has a very long stick he is carrying, around six feet long. His head and tail are held high, with the tail gently wagging, as he looks very proud of his possession.
A right whale at the surface from the ocean, from above, with a spray of water blasting up from its blow hole.
Four prints laid out. The large one is of a narwhal with orange flowers on a vine around its tusk. The other three are all black squares with an armadillo, a saw-whet owl, and a kingfisher, mostly depicted in white spots.
The books The Bone Shard Daughter and The Bone Shard Emperor by Andrea Stewart (labeled as books 1 and 2 of The Drowning Empire) on a shelf next to The Jasmine Throne and The Oleander Sword by Tasha Suri (labeled as books 1 and 2 of The Burning Kingdoms).
Two simple 5-shelf bookshelves side by side, filled with books but still having more space for probably a couple dozen more.
A golden retriever sprawling on the photographer’s lap in a messy room surrounded by stacks of books.
A photo of two golden retrievers lying down in front of a couch. One is young, head up, looking at the camera, with what looks like a giant, dopey grin on his face. The other is older, with his head down, eyes mostly closed, as though he looks totally done with all of this.
Seth let out a long, heavy breath. “We’re in a real pickle here.” Mouse snorted. “How did you all get into such a mess while I was gone?” “If I knew, I could have maybe fixed it before it got this bad. I don’t know, man, it feels like too much shit colliding all at the wrong time.” Mouse frowned. “Is there a right time for shit to collide?”
A close up picture of a sloth’s face, upside down as a sloth should be. She is coming into frame as though she is creeping up.
A photo of a turkey vulture sitting on a stump, giving the camera a side eye.
A close up of a red panda on some branches, looking at the camera with the tip of his tongue sticking out.
A digital fantasy map. There is a large continent to the east, dominated by the country Candesia. A river cuts through east to west. A mountain range runs north to south on the eastern edge.
A young golden retriever. He is lying on his back, hind legs splayed. His front half is on the grass, his back half on the sidewalk. He is holding a stick between his front paws as he chews on it.
A young golden retriever sitting on reddish rocks with a tall rock formation rising in the background in a fairly arid natural area. He is looking at the camera and panting, looking like he’s smiling.
The one in the dress—pale blue fabric down to her feet, the bodice cut in the shape of a waistcoat with white lace beneath—she was gods damned gorgeous. Rin grinned at her as they went by, twisting in her captors’ grips to keep her view. “Hey,” Rin said, jerking her chin. The woman in the dress glanced at Rin, in her cuffs, escorted by the coppers, her boots scuffed, and made a face. Her companion rolled her eyes and led her on, muttering something about scoundrels. Rin was brought back to her situation by a sharp tug on her arm. “Were you dropped as a baby?” the first copper asked. “No, why, were you?” “I wasn’t the one flirting while arrested.” “Frankly, I don’t see why the two should be mutually exclusive.” “Clearly.” A ridiculous attitude. It wasn’t Rin’s fault that a gorgeous woman had passed her under these circumstances. She had to take the opportunities she had.
Three golden retrievers in a row, looking up at the camera in a room with a wooden floor. The leftmost is still a puppy, five months old. He is sitting with a smile on his lips. The middle is older, starting to go white, sitting as he looks up intently. The rightmost is also going white, but he has a big grin as he stands there.
A photo of a young golden retriever, wearing a rainbow bandana. He is lying in a field of daisies that blurs into the distance.
The one in the dress—pale blue fabric down to her feet, the bodice cut in the shape of a waistcoat with white lace beneath—she was gods damned gorgeous. Rin grinned at her as they went by, twisting in her captors’ grips to keep her view. “Hey,” Rin said, jerking her chin. The woman in the dress glanced at Rin, in her cuffs, escorted by the coppers, her boots scuffed, and made a face. Her companion rolled her eyes and led her on, muttering something about scoundrels. Rin was brought back to her situation by a sharp tug on her arm. “Were you dropped as a baby?” the first copper asked. “No, why, were you?” “I wasn’t the one flirting while arrested.” “Frankly, I don’t see why the two should be mutually exclusive.” “Clearly.” A ridiculous attitude. It wasn’t Rin’s fault that a gorgeous woman had passed her under these circumstances. She had to take the opportunities she had.
The meme of actor Will Poulter looking confused, with the caption, "Wait, you guys have a hometown?"
A bearded dragon (lizard with a wide face a spiky chin) posing calmly on a pride bandana.
The one in the dress—pale blue fabric down to her feet, the bodice cut in the shape of a waistcoat with white lace beneath—she was gods damned gorgeous. Rin grinned at her as they went by, twisting in her captors’ grips to keep her view. “Hey,” Rin said, jerking her chin. The woman in the dress glanced at Rin, in her cuffs, escorted by the coppers, her boots scuffed, and made a face. Her companion rolled her eyes and led her on, muttering something about scoundrels.
A photo of a golden retriever puppy, giving the camera a sassy look. Behind him a rainbow arcs through the blue sky over the buildings.
The book Notorious Sorcerer by Davinia Evans. It’s sitting on brick before a fireplace. A bearded dragon (lizard with a wide face and spiky chin) is positioned with her front feet on the book, a mini sword in her hand. A little candle in the shape of a heart burns in front of the book.
“I’m sure this is all just a misunderstanding,” Rin said. “Nothing needs to be difficult. Can’t we work something out?” “Absolutely,” said the first copper, lifting Rin’s hopes. “In a court of law.” Rude. No one needed that kind of devastation. “Alright, that sounds fair, if I was responsible for this, which I’m obviously not.” The copper looked at Rin, with the bloody knife in her hand, and then down to the corpse, which had three stab wounds in the chest. She raised her eyes to Rin again, rapier swaying lightly in her hand. “I think you’re full of shit, you know that?” “Yeah, a lot of people say that.”
A photo of a golden retriever puppy sitting on a lap, from the perspective of the lap’s owner. They appear to be on a chair in a living room. The dog is looking back at the camera with a judgmental side eye.
A golden retriever puppy lying on the carpet. He is facing the camera but looking to the side, showing off the whites of his eyes.
A golden retriever from behind as he sits on a ridge, looking down into a mountain valley that stretches out in front of him, away from camera. He is above the treeline, but below a stream can be seen that runs down into pine forest lower in the valley. The sky is pristine blue over distant mountains.
A close up of a golden retriever puppy’s face, as he looks adoringly at the camera. The top of his nose is covered in a big white clump of rice.
A screenshot of a spreadsheet with two columns, one titled TBR - Fiction and the other TBR - Nonfiction. The Fiction column has the following books: The Night Circus The Waking Fire City of Lies Enemy Deal with the Devil The Night and its Moon Among Thieves Locklands The Hexologists Blood of Requiem The Sea of Pearls and Leaves The Midnight Kingdom Notorious Sorceror The Oleander Sword Sunbringer The Sin in the Steel The Bone Shard Emperor The Lost Metal The Final Strife The Last Hour Between Worlds The Woman Who Rides Like a Man Alanna: The First Test In the Hand of the Goddess Lioness Rampant Retribution Falls The Nonfiction column has the following books: The Reign of Wolf 21 Inside of a Dog When Elephants Weep Mind of the Raven The Invention of Nature
“I’m not here to complain, darling,” Djarah said, “although some humility from you wouldn’t go amiss.” Rin shrugged. She survived on bullshittery and bravado, and would never apologize for it.
A golden retriever puppy stumbling stiffly in a living room with his body curled around with his tail in his mouth. He speeds up as he lets go, chasing it faster, until he tumbles over on his side.
A golden retriever puppy, sitting on the sidewalk fairly close to the camera. He is looking at it soulfully with dirt all over the end of his snout.
A photo of the book Some We Love, Some We Hate, Some We Eat by Hal Herzog. A bearded dragon (lizard with a wide face and spiky chin) is resting her front feet on the cover, looking somewhere past the camera.
A hippo in water, nothing else around visible. She is looking straight up at the camera, her mouth open, making it look like she’s grinning in excitement.
A picture of a golden retriever held in someone’s arms sniffing noses with an orange bearded dragon (largish lizard with a wide face and big spiky chin and throat) being held in someone else’s hand. Background is out of focus but clearly indoors. Neither person’s face is visible.
A golden retriever puppy lying on a carpet facing the camera. He is chewing on a toy sloth and has a mischievous glint in his eye.
A picture of a golden retriever puppy. He is sitting on some bricks in front of an unlit fireplace, looking at the camera. He is utterly adorable.
A picture of a golden retriever puppy. He is sitting on some bricks in front of an unlit fireplace, looking at the camera. He is utterly adorable.
A photo taken from above of a lizard curled up in a faux-rock water bowl, her tail sticking over the edge.
Things were terrible. Rin was never crashing an airship again.
A quote on a white rectangle that fades into a background of a jagged mountain. The quote is as follows: " Rin Kel Vran kept seventeen knives hidden on her person. That was, seventeen she was worried the coppers would find if they frisked her. Well, sixteen knives she was worried they would find, and one they definitely already knew about, because it was brandished bare in her hand, wet to the hilt with blood."
An aesthetic. It is nine squares, the outer ones all with pictures, while the middle one just says “The Dragoneer” in a white cursive font on black. The pictures are, clockwise from the top left: a burning cigarette on a black background; a close up of brown scales, such as from a snake or lizard; an image of the sky near sunset, with light blue on top and gold and pink below, filled with gentle clouds; a black-and-white image of the close up of the trigger on an old-fashioned rifle; the metal head of a cane, with a leaf-like pattern pressed into the handle, on a black background; a close up of some gears; a large building, like a barn or hanger, on fire at night; a black-and-white image of a deserted scrubland.
Maybe Rin was flippant on occasion, or outright antagonistic, and maybe she did curse and drink and lust, and she had killed a few people, if always in self-defense, but really, what had she done that deserved this?