{"id":9504,"date":"2025-12-17T14:08:02","date_gmt":"2025-12-17T19:08:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/susannaives.com\/wordpress\/?p=9504"},"modified":"2025-12-24T08:55:38","modified_gmt":"2025-12-24T13:55:38","slug":"the-teashop-on-the-longest-night-a-magical-short-story","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/susannaives.com\/wordpress\/2025\/12\/the-teashop-on-the-longest-night-a-magical-short-story\/","title":{"rendered":"The Teashop On The Longest Night – A Magical Short Story"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\n

A few years ago, I wrote a short story about a magical teashop<\/a> as an excuse to experiment with AI image generation. In the end, the story itself turned out rather well. The images, however\u2026 less so.

This holiday season, I\u2019ve written a second magical teashop story and, once again, illustrated it with AI images. This time, though, I\u2019m under no illusions about my talent or luck when it comes to AI image generation.

So please don\u2019t judge the writing quality by the images. They are doing their best.

*I used generative AI to help draft the introduction above, but not the short story itself, aside from light proofreading.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

The Teashop On The Longest Night<\/strong><\/h1>\n\n\n\n

My black lace-up boots clicked on the pavement, and my long skirts swished around my ankles as I walked by the trendy shops near the university. Vintage clothes, unique gifts, and exotic restaurants. I adored this street, even though I couldn\u2019t afford to live in this area. I dwelled in a crazy house that my friend Kiera and I found while driving through the countryside. A Victorian monstrosity with Hitchcock-meets-Wuthering Heights<\/em> vibes. Perfection. We divided up the ten bedrooms and two baths between our friend group. Sometimes the lights flicker, and we like to think it\u2019s a ghost.<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

I inhabited the attic space \u2013 I like to call it the garret, as some consumptive, Bohemian artist might live in. It\u2019s cold AF, but the space makes my goth heart bloom. I spend my hours huddled by the round attic window, with my glovelettes on, wrapped in a great shawl, as though I\u2019m one of the Bront\u00eb sisters scribbling her stories, when, in fact, I\u2019m coding.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But I miss being in the world. The pulse of the city. The people watching.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I had spent the morning helping decorate the gaming shop where Kiera works for their annual Solstice party. I\u2019m going to be Krampus again this year! It\u2019s become my thing. I had spent all the months leading up to the party designing my latest Krampus iteration. And I had been up for the last two nights, creating my horns and robes. I think this year\u2019s costume is the best yet. I was so excited that I posted endlessly to my Tumblr tribe as I assembled it. Meanwhile, Kiera baked bread, and our roommate, Ian, stomped through the woods behind our beloved Victorian would-be haunted house, searching for a Yule log.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sadly, such intense solstice preparation cost precious sleep, and I still had to stay up until the new dawn. It was part of the Solstice celebration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I really wanted to vape.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But I gave up vaping. Going on three weeks and five days. Almost a month! I can do this. I can do this. I\u2019m doing this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I took a deep breath and reminded myself that the urge would pass and \u2026 Oh, a teashop!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Distraction works too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I had seen this place several times before, but I never went inside. But today the neon welcome sign seemed to burn brighter through the foggy, drizzly, perfect day, humming, as if to whisper, Come inside, mortal soul. Rest thy burdens.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I turned the old knob, and my entrance was heralded by the tingle of tiny bells.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dear Goddess!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Love at first sight. This is absolutely going to be my new favorite place. I had a feeling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There was stuff from every era crowded into the space, but the overall effect was cozy and nostalgic, not cluttered. Minimalistic midcentury modern chairs blended with bombastic Victorian cabinets stashed with vintage teacups. I adore old teacups. Hence, the lovely teacup tattooed on my left forearm. And Billie Holiday\u2019s voice floated on the air, quietly singing, \u201cApril in Paris.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I was the only customer! I felt like Alicia\u2014my real name\u2014in Teashop Wonderland.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There were some Formica tables\u20141950s diner vibe. But I chose the rickety wooden table in the corner with a single votive candle. The last customer had left a book by the sugar packets. I picked it up, yelped, and dropped it immediately. Holly\u2019s Home For Holidays. In one magical month, Holly inherits a bed and breakfast, finds a dog, and falls in love.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Just no. I set the book on the neighboring table.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There was a musical tingling sound. I raised my head. This female vision of Betty Page bangs, a shimmery red silk kimono, and impossible heels like towers emerged through a threshold of hanging beads.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYour look is amazing,\u201d I blurted. \u201cJust stunning.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She didn\u2019t respond in kind but tugged at her glorious bangs. \u201cYou\u2019ll have to excuse me. I\u2019m a little distracted today. My cat\u2014my cat is\u2014there was an accident.\u201d Tears, blackened from eyeliner and mascara, began to drip down her cheeks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I jumped from my chair and rushed to put my arms around her. \u201cI\u2019m so sorry. How awful.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She hugged me back. Her body was soft and oddly hot, like a heating blanket.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She sniffed. \u201cI\u2019m sorry,\u201d and withdrew from my arms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOh, no apologies. I would be a basket case if any of my cats were injured. I would just stay curled in a fetal position, sobbing. Yes, I\u2019m dramatic. No apologies.\u201d     <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSo, you understand.\u201d She tossed her arms around me, hugging me again. \u201cLet me get you some tea. I just blended some. It helps me while I wait to hear. It\u2019s lavender, dark chocolate with something special. A delightful secret.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYes, please. I love delightful secrets!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She pulled back and looked at me. Her eyes flashed. I had read about flashing eyes in books but had never witnessed it. But her orbs definitely flickered.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She clomped to the back. I sat again and studied my wrist where two of my cats are tattooed. The plan was two cats, but I found three kittens abandoned by a gas station. So five now. I needed to add the new kittens to the tattoo.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She returned, holding a vintage floral tray with a dainty floral teapot and cup. \u201cI\u2019m sorry, I was upset. I\u2019m better now. It\u2019s just my cat is my family.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt will be okay,\u201d I said quietly, even though I didn\u2019t know if it would be. But it\u2019s what I like to hear when my world is in scary turmoil. The words soothed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She set the teapot on the table. \u201cI think you will really like this tea. It has a kind heart. Like you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There was a ringing. Like the old-fashioned phone my grandmother had on her wall. \u201cThat\u2019s about my cat,\u201d the woman said and rushed to the back.  <\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

\u201cMay her cat be well,\u201d I said, sending healing thoughts into the universe on this solstice, and took a sip.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Oh, my Goddess!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What lush happiness. I drew another sip. The magnificent stuff seemed to turn the world into a beautiful blur of sound and lights. Like when I was five, and my mother pushed me on the merry-go-round at the park. Around and around. Laughing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then blackness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I opened my eyes, expecting to see a wonderfully crazy teashop. Instead, I was facing a door adorned with a homemade cross-stitched sign that said, \u201cHolly\u2019s Bed and Breakfast. Welcome home!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Huh?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The doorbell rang\u2014an electric chorus of \u201cWe Wish You A Merry Christmas\u201d <\/em>echoed around me. Through the beveled glass, I saw two figures in Santa hats, waving.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I opened the door because it seemed like the thing to do.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMerry Christmas!\u201d cried two kindly middle-aged people\u2014obviously, a couple\u2014who can be described as wholesome Midwest clad in Lands\u2019 End.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cUm, Happy Solstice,\u201d I responded.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What was going on? Was I dreaming?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Oh, wait! I get it. I was tired, and I didn\u2019t see that it was that<\/em> kind of tea shop. The delightful secret was THC.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Which is cool. But a warning would have been appreciated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cLet us put these under the tree for Santa,\u201d the woman beamed, holding up a beautifully wrapped box with an enormous bow. The stuff of Pinterest holiday boards.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOkay!\u201d I stepped aside and let them enter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I followed them into a living room, where it looked as though Father Christmas had vomited a holiday wonderland. It was totally Insta-worthy\u2014if Santa\u2019s home was your aesthetic. Santa figurines, pillows, throws, and wall art everywhere.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A miniature village and connecting transit system were housed beneath one of the trees\u2014as there were four with different themes. There was a teddy bear tree, a huge pastel balls tree, an angel tree, and a teacups tree (Okay, that one was not terrible.) And garland. Draping every possible thing. No escaping it.<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

The couple placed their lovely presents under the tree by the train depot. As they were removing their puffer coats, something seemingly horrible happened: a vape pen fell from one of the pockets. It clattered on the floor. The couple\u2019s mouths dropped in horror.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOh, dear,\u201d the woman said. \u201cI wish you hadn\u2019t seen that. Filthy thing!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s Tobie\u2019s,\u201d the man said, his brows lowered with consternation. \u201cWe caught it on him. He\u2019s trying to fit in at school. You know how it is. Joshua promised to talk to him.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou know how Tobie just worships Joshua,\u201d the woman waved her hand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I don\u2019t know Tobie or Joshua, but I\u2019m guessing they were the two boys in the family portrait knitted into the couple\u2019s matching Christmas sweaters under the name \u201cThe Johnsons.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019ll \u2013 I\u2019ll take the vape pen,\u201d I said and quickly snatched it up, pretending to be appalled.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou are so talented, sweetie,\u201d Mrs. Johnson said, looking around. \u201cLook at all you\u2019ve done!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI did this?\u201d I replied as if I had been falsely accused of murder.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI can see why our Joshua snapped you right up when you came to this town with your city ways.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMe? Joshua?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHe always fell for the talented cuties,\u201d Mr. Johnson said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cutie? Honestly, he didn\u2019t have to be insulting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI can\u2019t wait to see how you decorate for the wedding.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWedding?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At that moment, a door opened and a man, beautiful and yet painfully unattractive at the same time, entered from the back, holding a plate of cookies. He wore khakis, a plaid shirt, and an apron with a blinking red reindeer nose poking out. His chestnut hair was neatly barbered at the neck and swept across his forehead. Those were the unattractive parts. Also, the cookies of Santa\u2019s beard piped with icing were quite appalling. But his eyes\u2013those were stunning\u2014like looking into puddles, seeming infinite reflections of gray, stormy skies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At his loafers\u2019 heels was a super adorable French bulldog. The dog ran to me, tail wagging, eyes bright.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Aww!<\/em> I scratched his side as he squirmed in delight. \u201cAren\u2019t you a sweet baby. Yes, you are! Look at you!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

\u201cI see you left the office early,\u201d Mr. Johnson said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt was an easy spay this morning,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSo, you\u2019re Joshua. And a vet,\u201d I said. \u201cThese are your mom and dad.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He looked at me oddly. \u201cUmmm, yes. We met at my office when you accidentally hit Ernest, here with your rental car,\u201d he gestured to the dog. \u201cAre we playing a Christmas game?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Never mind that. I had hit a dog! I felt terrible, even if I was tripping, and Ernest was an illusion. \u201cI\u2019m so sorry. I\u2019m so sorry.\u201d I scratched the dog. He looked up at me with those adorable buggy eyes, very healthy and very smitten.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOur Joshie is the best vet in town,\u201d the woman said. \u201cThe best.\u201d Her eyes widened, and she held up her hand. \u201cOh, did you see where I posted your engagement picture on the newspaper\u2019s social media? So many comments.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMom!\u201d Joshua blushed. I didn\u2019t realize guys could blush. I thought it was something that required two X chromosomes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI couldn\u2019t help it. You two are so adorable. Just the perfect couple.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She held up her oversized phone. And there was Joshua, his arm around my shoulder, looking at me, entranced. Except it wasn\u2019t me \u2026 yet it was, in some Twilight Zone way. Joshua, my Twilight Zone version, and Ernest were posed beneath a decked-out tree, all clad in matching candy-cane sweatshirts\u2014yes, that included Ernest, who was adorable in his.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then, \u201cOh, My Goddess!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I looked down at what I was wearing and then rushed to the mirror above a side table. In between the icicle stickers, I saw tacky prom night meets gaudy Christmas. I was in a glittery red ruffly horror (In the bad sense of horror), and my hair! Gone were my shiny, flowing locks of Dark Academia. I had blonde streaks with those casual curls, only achieved by half an hour with a hot wand. I wore rhinestone Christmas-tree earrings and a necklace of miniature blinking holiday lights.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThis is all a trip. This is all a trip.\u201d I tapped my heels together\u2014they were red like Dorothy\u2019s. So, I thought I would try. Unfortunately, I didn\u2019t beam back to Kansas or the teashop.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When was I going to come down? What if I never came down? What if I had screwed up my brain and I was stuck in this tinsel-ridden hallucination?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMy dear, are you okay?\u201d Mrs. Johnson asked, concerned.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI need a moment.\u201d I fled, rushing blindly to the front door. Outside, the frigid wind bit my cheeks and batted about the blow-up of Santa\u2019s sleigh and reindeer parked on the lawn. I held the vape pen to my lips.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

 Did vaping while you were tripping count? Wouldn\u2019t that be like vaping in a dream\u2014it didn\u2019t really happen?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The door quietly opened. I turned to find Joshua approaching, his gorgeous eyes clouded with worry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I hid the vape pen behind my back. I don\u2019t know why. It seemed in character.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He held up his hands. He had lovely fingers. You could imagine them gently caring for a wounded animal. \u201cI know, perhaps I was rushing things. It\u2019s just\u2026 when I saw you, cradling Ernest in your arms. I knew you were right for me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I gestured to my person, who was trapped in a red glittery hell-dress accessorized with blinking miniature lights. \u201cThis is right for you?\u201d Because if it is, you are so wrong for me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He looked at me. Really looked at me. His eyes plunged into my soul. \u201cYes,\u201d he whispered.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I shivered. Not in a scared way\u2014but with dizzying attraction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Without thinking, I drew a vape.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAre\u2014are you vaping?\u201d he asked, surprised, and mildly horrified.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYeah, I\u2019ve been trying to stop.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI can help you.\u201d He rested his hands on my shoulders. \u201cI can support you. You\u2019re not alone.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cLook, I don\u2019t need support. And I don\u2019t know what is happening. For instance, I usually have tattoos of my cats on my wrist. And a teacup on my arm. And this is way more color than I wear and way fewer earrings and bracelets.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He tilted his head. \u201cUsually, you wear tiny pearl studs, pink cashmere sweaters, and a thin gold bracelet.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What?!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I held up a finger. \u201cAh, okay, I know what\u2019s happening. My soul has been swapped. My friend Kiera is into the occult. And this can happen, she tells me. My soul got put into Small Town Holiday Barbie\u2019s body after drinking the tea. And if I don\u2019t come down from this trip, we\u2019re going to need to do a ceremony with a salt circle or something.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He studied me. \u201cIt\u2019s okay if you\u2019re going through some things. I\u2019m here for you. We\u2019re a team. I love you.\u201d Those eyes, they broke me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I didn\u2019t care if the nose on his Rudolf apron was blinking. It\u2019s like when I found my cat, Catlister Crawley, wet, matted, and abandoned by a dumpster. When I had looked into his scared gold cat eyes, I saw the beautiful cat inside him. I saw him purring in my lap as we watched all the Conjuring movies at Halloween with a big bowl of buttery popcorn. I saw him sitting by my feet as I sewed my Renaissance Festival costumes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I knew he was special.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I knew.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I don\u2019t know what happened. I\u2019m usually not into kissing strangers. Even if I am engaged to them. But this wasn\u2019t IRL. So, I leaned in and gently brushed his soft, warm lips. He sighed. There was an enormous, luminous star in the night sky. I swear I saw it before I closed my eyes and melted into his kiss.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And then things were spinning again. Round and round on the merry-go-round, descending into blackness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I opened my eyes. Before me was the empty teacup.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The laced tea had worn off in the middle of a delicious kiss! I touched my lips as my heart still raced.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

No.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

By the powers of Hecate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I needed more tea! I wanted to go back to that kiss. That delicate, trembling, soul-drenching kiss.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The doorbells tingled, and the teashop door opened in a rush of cold air, sending in a splattering of dead leaves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And there he was. Joshua.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Except he wasn\u2019t. This version wasn\u2019t neatly barbered. His wild and windblown chestnut hair flowed to his shoulders. Even though it was brutally cold outside, he wore only a dark gray sweatshirt with the sleeves pushed up, revealing a tattoo of a French Bulldog. Ernest! That\u2019s Ernest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He held a cat carrier.<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

The teashop owner rushed forward in her perilous heels.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOh, Shamash! My baby. Is he okay?\u201d She looked at Gothic Joshua with worried eyes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHe\u2019ll be fine.\u201d Gothic Joshua had a rich, reassuring timbre. \u201cI had to do a few stitches. He\u2019ll need to take antibiotics and wear a donut to keep from bothering the wounds until they heal. It will make him mad, but it\u2019s only for a few days. Just let him rest.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOh, thank you! Thank you!\u201d The tea shop owner grabbed a fluffy blue cat bed from the corner. \u201cHere, let\u2019s put him here. He likes to watch the door.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Gothic Joshua knelt and gently removed a fluffy black cat from the carrier, still subdued from surgery. \u201cThere you go, little buddy,\u201d he said, placing the cat on his bed. He scratched the kitty\u2019s throat. \u201cYou are a brave, good boy.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The teashop owner waved to a table, \u201cLet me get you some tea. I have a very special blend.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019ll just purchase a bag to go, if you don\u2019t mind. I\u2019m going to the Solstice party at \u2026\u201d He trailed off. His eyes\u2014those infinite pools reaching across time and parallel universes\u2014landed on me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou,\u201d he whispered. He tapped his chest. \u201cI know you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I shivered, feeling as though I were blooming inside\u2014beautiful flower buds popping open beneath my skin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019m Krampus,\u201d I whispered.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The End<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019ve also written two short holiday horror vignettes<\/a>. They\u2019re not for everyone, but if you like your holidays with a little tingle at the edges, they\u2019re there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A few years ago, I wrote a short story about a magical teashop as an excuse to experiment with AI image generation. In the end, the story itself turned out rather well. The images, however\u2026 less so. This holiday season, I\u2019ve written a second magical teashop story and, once again, illustrated it with AI images. … <\/p>\n

Continue reading “The Teashop On The Longest Night – A Magical Short Story”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":9529,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[259],"tags":[561,150,559,562,555,560,554],"class_list":["post-9504","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-susannas-books","tag-enchanted-places","tag-gothic","tag-liminal-spaces","tag-magical-realism","tag-short-fiction","tag-solstice","tag-winter"],"yoast_head":"\nThe Teashop On The Longest Night - A Magical Short Story - Susanna Ives\u2019 Floating World<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/susannaives.com\/wordpress\/2025\/12\/the-teashop-on-the-longest-night-a-magical-short-story\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"The Teashop On The Longest Night - A Magical Short Story - Susanna Ives\u2019 Floating World\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"A few years ago, I wrote a short story about a magical teashop as an excuse to experiment with AI image generation. In the end, the story itself turned out rather well. The images, however\u2026 less so. 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