The Ontoverse
Anything that's part of the Ontoverse compendium--generally (but not necessarily) meaning most of the things written by Vestiphile.
A few things Vestiphile writes do not take place in the Ontoverse, while some Ontoverse-canon things are written by other authors.
The point is that ALL THESE STORIES take place within the same Multiverse.
There it is.
Adriksehn:Skipper
by Fauler Hoyt
Some people smuggle contraband over international borders...Kalin Adriksehn takes that to another magnitude.
A 'candy salesman' with a mysterious past, Kalin works with a small house of interdimensional diplomats and dealbrokers with connections to state organizations, multidimensional corporations, and VIPs from all over the local node.
So when the gorgeous and supernaturally-endowed ruler of a known hedonism haven asks Kalin to sneak one of her agents into a diplomatically-sensitive secured area, will he risk his career and cover in exchange for her promises of tactile riches and immense pleasure?
Jump the tear and dive into a strange interdimensional future-noir of danger, sex, underground trade and good old deception with a smart-ass augmented human who can't keep himself out of trouble.
And like, trust no one. Or something.
(This 1.X arc is now complete as of 7/17/2021! The total word count is about 67000.)
1.X - Tripping Ether
An intro to the Ontoverse with Kalin Adriksehn, who might be a charismatic salesman, a sneaky diplomat, a shrewd spy, or a brutal assassin...depending on who it is you ask.
When the ruler of a hedonistic cluster of realities run by a few super-empowered women essentially commanding humanity's sentient belongings and tools asks Kalin to run a job for her, he risks his position, his credentials, and his life.
2.X - The Vestinian Cerberus
As Kalin settles into his new home-in-exile around Nyxe's capital city, past paths cross, and roles are reversed. As Kalin's fame in the Vestiniad grows, he wonders how it will affect his new 'special relationship' with the Tychabrahma. With his ties to Candymaker Holdings severed and his IDOX clearances revoked, he begins to wonder about Bailey's position on the game board. When a colleague and usual ally from his not-too-distant past shows up both unannounced and earlier than he expected, given the circumstances of their last job together, Kalin is beginning to realize that he's not on any clear side at all. Who his real friends are may depend on the motions of his every act.
Apprentices of Xenthe
by Vestiphile
w/ assist from McK
Situated in posh Midtown Manhattan, the timeless architecture of Sorgina Tower is home to a world-class PR firm, a fabulous department store, some of the hottest restaurants in the city, exclusive residential spaces that money alone can't buy...and--unbeknownst to most of the world--some of the most bewitching magic users in the world. When Eva takes a new job at Uncanny Advertising, doors open to a new career, a new lifestyle, new friends, and a new world beyond belief.
Dark Mistress
by Vestiphile
w/ assists from Darkside007 & McK
When Tiffany finds an irresistible pair of boots stashed away in her client's walk-in closet, she unleashes a supernatural entity of immense power. After a confrontation reveals that Tiffany's discovery of the boots was more than accidental, the entity slips away, biding its time and massing its power elsewhere. Can she piece together the mystery before the growing force fulfills its plan, or has her curiosity put the world in the hands of a power-hungry hedonistic entity?
Household Magic
by Vestiphile
When Susan discovers an old tome in an antique dresser, the sensible side of her laughs it off. When a string of coincidences makes her wonder if the simple spells she uttered were real, she tries more advanced magic. After her teenage daughter Erin discovers the strange things happening in the house, Susan tries to hide the truth about the magic even as she gets in way over her head. Before long, the whole household is caught up in renegade magic, and Erin will have to study like a sorceress to save Susan from herself.
Lofty Enchantments
by Vestiphile & McK
When you know one of the most powerful sorceress' in the world, and you happen to live in the same building, you're bound to see and experience the impossible. A demigoddess named Jennifer shows her friends a good time and makes more wherever she goes.
Mistress Nyxe - Takeover
Initial Concept from Yahoo Groups
Chapters 2-8 by Vestiphile & McK
[AKA: 'Boots of the Dark Mistress']
For those of you who don't know the old adult.collapsingfiction.com lore, "Dark Mistress" was inspired by something that came a few years earlier. In the old Yahoo groups, a bunch of us passed a thread back and forth--each of us tacking on our fetishes and our own fantastical story twists, and it became this.
If the latter chapters seem more consistent than the earlier ones, it's because over time this 5-author document became a 2-author document. Armed with our notes about what we wanted to see--regardless of how off-the-rails...we pretty much went there.
A couple years later, I found Darkside--who told me I wasn't allowed to indulge my fetishes and wander around half-cocked with my characters if I actually wanted to write a meaningful story.
I mean...the fucker's right, but nyyyyyyyyeh.
This draft spirals to a much different breaking point than the revision. Is it a shame it never went any further? Perhaps. But there WAS always an alternate chapter 10 I wanted to write for the Revised Dark Mistress that ends a little differently.
This is a little rough, and it starts a bit silly, but I've had enough people ask about it that I'm pleased to share it again here.
Sadie & Maddie
by Vestiphile
inspired by a short by Vestiphile & McK
When twin sisters living in a upper-middle-class suburb get an anonymous birthday card from someone claiming to be their long-lost mother, their entire world changes around them. Destined by birthright to become powerful sorceresses, they set out to unravel their familial mystery as their new abilities lead them on a collision course with the rest of the magical world.