A (Not So) Healthy Dose of Chaos: Settling In

A (Not So) Healthy Dose of Chaos

Book 2

Settling In

Edo-chan

A (NOT SO) HEALTHY DOSE OF CHAOS

Book 2: Settling In

Presented by Edo-chan

PUBLISHING HISTORY

Print version first published January 2013

eBook version first published January 2013

Revised September 2021

Smashwords Edition

© 2012-2021 Edo-chan

All rights reserved.

ISBN: 978-1-31-128542-3

Cover Illustration by Sexy Kat

http://sexy-kat.deviantart.com

All rights reserved. Except as permitted under the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976, no part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without the prior written permission of the author.

The characters and events portrayed in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author. And for those that read little notices like this, the spoon is still over there where you left it.

http://www.edo-hrzic.com/

Table of Contents

Chapter One

Or, A (Not So) Healthy Dose of a Recap!

Chapter Two

Or, A (Not So) Healthy Dose of New and Old!

Katrina Is a Little Strange #1

Chapter Three

Or, A (Not So) Healthy Dose of a Sibling!

Tomato & Mozzarella Cheese Spaghetti

Chapter Four

Or, A (Not So) Healthy Dose of a Birthday!

Space-Time Manipulation with Silver! Part 1

Chapter Five

Or, A (Not So) Healthy Dose of Sudden Change!

Katrina Is a Little Strange #2

Chapter Six

Or, A (Not So) Healthy Dose of Thanksgiving!

Chapter Seven

Or, A (Not So) Healthy Dose of Leaving a Room!

Vanilla, Strawberry & Coffee Bavarian Cream

Chapter Eight

Or, A (Not So) Healthy Dose of Conflict Again!

Chapter Nine

Or, A (Not So) Healthy Dose of a Villain!

Falldine

Chapter Ten

Or, A (Not So) Healthy Dose of Snow!

Chapter Eleven

Or, A (Not So) Healthy Dose of Christmas!

Chapter Twelve

Or, A (Not So) Healthy Dose of the End of a Year!

Katrina Is a Little Strange #3

Afterword

For grandma Rita—

Who I undoubtedly inherited my imagination from

ONE

Or, A (Not So) Healthy Dose of a Recap!

Once the first of the month hit, everything got colder. Autumn was putting its things away in anticipation of hibernating until the next year, and winter was undoubtedly starting to unpack its bags and set up for its annual stint.

November was making itself quite known.

Kenaeth Goldwrite was outside, raking the leaves that had been steadily falling since mid-October. He carefully piled them in the rear of the back yard so he could put them into garbage bags later on.

When he was finished, he took a look at the back yard, then at his home. In the last few months, not much had changed.

And yet, everything had.

He heard the back door to the kitchen open, and he saw a woman standing on the deck. She had short black hair and a tight fitting, space-age military outfit. Her name was Cassandra Pyredom, and she wasn’t from Earth.

She was an alien.

Five years earlier, in 2013, an intergalactic group called the Entine Republic visited Earth, extending an invitation for Earth to join. It took three years, but the planet became part of the Republic.

Shortly afterward, during that warming up period, an intergalactic exchange program was set into motion, with interested parties from other planets given a chance to live, study and work on the newcomer to the Republic.

That’s when Ken was given the opportunity to take in successful candidates. His house was a split-foyer home, and too big for just one person. His parents had passed away several years before, and his sister was somewhere in Europe, so he was the sole occupant.

He honestly thought his application would’ve been marked with a failing grade, overlooked, immediately tossed in the garbage, or lining the bottom of a cage that belonged so someone’s pet parakeet – or at least the alien equivalent of a parakeet.

He was colored surprised when his home was selected. Not just one alien – or otherworlder was the appropriate term – would be staying there. Five showed up on his doorstep all in one day, and through a twist of fate, a sixth came into his abode.

Six female otherworlders were living in his house, and his life had been forever altered, modified, changed. To Ken, mangled would also be a word to add to that list of synonyms.

One of those very otherworlders was standing on the deck that was connected to the back of his house, waiting for him to finish raking leaves on the cold morning. She was from the planet Talsenia, which had a matriarchal culture and high military influence. She always carried a saber, as was customary for women on her planet.

Ken was her sparring partner, and he had been learning melee combat due to several threats that had appeared not long after his tenants arrived.

In addition to these six new females in his life, there was a male addition: a time traveler. The time traveler had come back to help Ken, by teaching him to manipulate space-time. And teach him he did.

The threats were three other time travelers, seeking Ken and his teacher because they had been to a place that was far-and-away a location that, since the dawn of time, few had ever been to. It was called the Akashic Library, and was a place outside of time and space that had all of recorded history: past, present and future. The three enemy time travelers wanted access to the Library.

Not wanting to keep Cassandra waiting, he went to the side door, leaving his rake next to it, and headed inside to fetch a pipe that he used in his practices with her. The pipe’s sole purpose was to beat some common sense into any intruders into Ken’s house, but it had become a welcome ally in his combats, both practice and real.

When Ken reached the back yard again, Cassandra was already waiting in her usual spot. He took up his own place about ten feet away from her, brandishing his pipe as a makeshift sword. Cassandra hefted her own weapon, though it was still sheathed to prevent any permanent injuries.

The key word was permanent. Ken had sustained a number of bruises to his hands and arms thanks to that sheathed sword. The bruising and stings he took on a regular basis helped drill into him that he needed to get better.

And they went at it without exchanging a word, their weapons doing all of the talking for them.

Just as he was, Ken was of little match for Cassandra. Though she was slightly younger than him, she had been training in swordplay for many years. While swinging his weapon made combat more familiar, he was by no means used to it in the way she was.

Swinging, stabbing and parrying . . . It all made sense in some inexplicable way, but their half-hour practices would always end the same, with Ken getting disarmed.

The pipe flew from his hands and landed in the grass. Ken looked at it and sighed.

You’re getting better, Cassandra praised him.

Doesn’t feel like it, Ken grumbled as he went to fetch his weapon.

Getting disarmed meant the end of their sparring for the day. Like usual, he was about to head back into the house to start with his daily routine when Cassandra spoke up.

Ken, I have a request.

Yeah?

I . . . want to see how I measure up to a manipulator.

She was referring to someone who had the ability to use and alter space-time, in effect, manipulating reality. Among the many skills was one in which their physical abilities were vastly enhanced.

The three enemy time travelers had made their appearance the previous month, and the members of the household that could fight did so. In the battle, Cassandra faced off against one of them, a woman. She was vastly outmatched, and it turned into a complete thrashing when the woman enhanced herself. Cassandra lost badly, though didn’t sustain any lasting physical injuries.

The mental injury – not being able to give it her all in a real combat situation – was still as open as it had been on that day.

She wanted to test herself against someone like that again. It was the first time Ken had heard her make a request like that.

Are you sure? I mean, all we’ve done until now is just fight normally.

She looked down at the ground, then back up to him. I need the experience. I just . . . want to be prepared. However little I can be.

He could see she was serious. Ken thought for a moment, nodded, and went back to his usual spot.

The way space-time manipulation was explained to Ken, it was all about imagination, concentration and focus. He went through the motions he was taught, reinforcing himself, and as quickly as he had thought about it, it was done. He had Overlapped.

Overlapping was the code name for a manipulator enhancing physical abilities, by borrowing a version of oneself from a parallel reality, and – as the term indicated – overlapping it onto oneself.

Cassandra noticed a change in Ken immediately, and tensed up. She worried if she would be able to do anything to keep up with him, let alone stop him.

Ken moved.

Cassandra instantly went on the defensive, and was barely quick enough to block Ken’s overhead slash. The force of it made her widen her stance backward to avoid being pushed over. If it was normal Cassandra versus normal Ken, Cassandra was stronger due to her regular workouts. When enhanced, Ken was about as strong as her.

She stepped aside and attempted to slash, but Ken had already moved to intercept her. Before she was able to complete the attack, Ken was almost finished with his. Cassandra quickly adjusted her strike to deflect his pipe, but it still clipped her bicep.

Ken wouldn’t let up, and kept hammering at her guard.

She . . . couldn’t find an opening. He was too fast for her.

She went to block another overhead attack, but Ken feinted, and then swung to the side. The force of the strike broke her guard. Ken followed up with a body block, throwing all of his weight into his shoulder, completely knocking her off balance. She yelped, and fell to the ground, her sword landing a few paces away.

She sat up, looked at him, and bit her bottom lip in frustration.

Ken scratched his head. Um . . . sorry?

Cassandra shook her head. No, it’s not your fault. I just don’t know how to compete with that.

She stood up, dusted her duff off, and retrieved her saber. I guess we’re going to have to do that once per session now. I need to get faster.

Ken mulled her desire. Could she compete with supernatural speed and strength? He thought back to when they first encountered the three enemy time travelers, and recalled that his teacher did something to Cassandra to make her better at combat, but Ken didn’t know what it was.

Are you going to be all right? he asked.

My pride’s a little bruised, that’s all.

"That’s supposed to be my line."

* * *

When Ken and Cassandra went back into the house, a woman in a maid uniform with pink skin was doing preparations for breakfast.

Oh, are you two done already? she asked.

Sasha Redford was from the planet Koriri, and pink skin was standard for someone on that world. She came to Earth to work as a housekeeper, but her first landlord was an abysmal human being. There, she slept in a closet on a cot, and was rarely given any consideration. It was by blind luck that Ken found out what was going on, and rescued her. She then started living in Ken’s house.

Yeah. We decided to end it a little early today, Ken replied.

Cassandra kept walking. I need a shower before I head to college.

As she exited the kitchen, someone else hovered in. She was a foot tall, and had four gossamer wings. She landed on the counter near the stove.

Good morning! she greeted Sasha and Ken in an upbeat tone.

Good morning, Katrina, Sasha smiled.

Morning, Katrina, Ken returned her greeting.

Katrina Faerblood was from the planet Betlin, and everyone from there was about her size. She had the most unique job of Ken’s tenants: to measure space-time fluctuations, and document chronological phenomena in the vicinity of Earth.

Her living space was also unique: she lived on the top of a cabinet in the living room, using some doll furniture and clothes that had belonged to Ken’s sister at one time. She also worked as a model for a local doll shop for clothing and other essentials that were necessary for her slight stature.

What are we having? Katrina wondered, looking at the ingredients Sasha was mixing.

Pancakes, Sasha announced.

Yay! the short-stack-sized tenant cheered.

Ken left the kitchen, passed the bathroom where Cassandra was taking her shower, and headed to his room.

His bedroom was right across from another tenant’s room. The door was open, so he looked in to find that tenant working on something electrical or mechanical.

What are you working on? Ken asked.

She looked up. Nothing out of the ordinary.

When it came to mechanical projects, Alisa Maestral from Kodominé was most certainly out of the ordinary, aside from those she had to do for her college classes.

Ken always got the willies when looking into the room, because it was a lot larger than it was supposed to be. He looked down near the inside of the door, and there was a small lamp-like device. That item was the reason her room was so long. From what Alisa had told him, it altered rooms to make them bigger. The device was also a micro-fusion reactor, and Ken would have to admit he had at least one nightmare of it exploding and taking half the east coast with it.

Alisa also shared a room with Sasha, so on the bright side of things, it was good to have the extra space.

Good, Ken approved.

He went into his room, chose some new clothes, and waited for Cassandra to finish her shower so he could take his in the master bedroom’s bathroom to avoid splitting up the water pressure.

After he showered, he found everyone eating breakfast.

Another tenant of his walked up the stairs as he headed down the hall.

Good morning, Ken, she said.

Good morning, Angelica, he responded.

Angelica Elegance, from planet Falldine, was working as a nurse. Her wings were a signature trait for those from her planet, and her most identifying feature.

That, and her upper body.

Boing.

Cassandra and Alisa were just finishing their meals as she arrived. They usually finished together, since Cassandra drove both of them to college. Alisa didn’t drive very much, since there was some mental trauma on both Ken’s and Cassandra’s parts.

Alisa, we should leave soon, or we’ll be late, Cassandra remarked.

Alisa simply nodded and they left the table.

See you two later this afternoon! Ken waved as they headed down the stairs.

Angelica sat down and helped herself to a stack of pancakes and toast.

Ken did as well. Don’t you have to leave soon, too?

Today we have an in-service, so I’ll be going in a little late. That also means I’ll be coming home late this evening.

Sasha picked up the plates Cassandra and Alisa used. What time will you be home?

Around six-thirty.

I’ll just put your dinner in the microwave. Will that be okay?

That’ll be fine. Thanks, Sasha.

Ken was about to dig in when his last tenant came up the stairs.

Natalia Greentyme was the tenant Ken got along with the least. She was from the planet Forshe. Her father owned a cosmetics company in several galaxies, and she was a rich girl. Ken simply couldn’t stand her snobby attitude.

Pancakes? she said with a hint of disapproval.

What’s wrong with pancakes? Everyone loves pancakes, Ken remarked.

Especially me! Katrina said from her small dining table that was on the dining room table everyone else used.

They’d been at his house for about three months, and he knew them well enough to say with confidence that they were all a bunch of screwballs.

* * *

The doorbell rang once, signaling that someone was waiting at the door on the bottom floor.

Ken went downstairs to answer it, and found an otherworlder there, with peach skin and dotted marks down the side of her face.

She was Amelta Tayon, the handler for the oddballs that were staying at his house. He invited her in, and they went upstairs to the living room to talk.

Is everyone doing okay? she asked. Any problems?

Thankfully, no. They seem to be in their element now.

Amelta had been doing spot checks on houses where otherworlders she was in charge of were staying at. It was partly due to circumstances with Sasha. Amelta hadn’t checked to see if the living conditions that were in the contracts for the landlords were fulfilled or not, which led to Sasha living in less than the conditions that were promised, which in turn led Ken to blow up at Amelta.

In the end, Sasha became a resident of Ken’s house, so all’s well than ended well in that respect. Amelta had also decided to take her job more seriously.

Good! I should tell you that the contract renewals for your tenants will be coming up in the next few months.

Contract renewals, huh?

The program Ken’s tenants were involved in was on a provisional basis. Every year, the tenants could decide if they wanted to remain in the program, or quit. They could renew two times, for a total of three years. During Ken’s first meeting with Amelta, she did say that it could be extended in certain