It's one thing to not want an evil-sorcerer type villain in your story, but it's another thing to avoid having any sort of antagonist at all. A story without an antagonist gets weird pretty quick.

He had a bright, reckless tenor that was always wandering off, looking for notes in the wrong places.

One of them had a large wooden sign nailed to its door proclaiming, NO SYMPATHY! I wondered what non-arcane visitors might think of the warning.

That was another lesson I had learned perhaps too well: people meant pain.

I needed to let them know they couldn't hurt me. I've learned that the best way to stay safe is to make your enemies think you can't be hurt.

Books are a poor substitute for female companionship, but they are easier to find.

You,” I said, “are sweet music in a distant room.