#short compared to their family but tall when they return to the mainland

[figzagreus]

zapping zag & mel with the wasian beam

[astrales]

I decided to write youta’s character stories and details, so they will be under the cut bc, whoops, it got long !

character details: a mysterious and enigmatic man from the land of inazuma, youta now takes up temporary residence in liyue harbor. he’s something of an adventurer, travelling form place to place and doing odd jobs, though not all adventurers would find themselves doing shady deals with shadier people. 

while not very sociable, they are willing to lend an ear or naginata to anyone needing their help. it seems he has unfinished business, but it’s unclear what his true motives are. knowledgeable and skilled, youta could easily be compared to some renegade hero from an old tale. whether he is one or not, is up to the people he comes into contact with.

story 1: before escaping to mainland teyvat, youta ( known as aoki in inazuma ) was the head chef at uyuu restaurant. because of this, he knows how to cook quite a large variety of inazuman dishes. now, in his free time, he likes to learn and perfect liyue and mondstadt dishes. while he would never admit to it, it allows him to return to some sense of normalcy, whatever that was. once he thought about applying for a job at another restaurant, but he doesn’t stay put long enough to hold a singular job.

at inazuma, however, he was quite well known for the care he put into his dishes. while no one knows of his true origins, many of the locals know that aoki looked far younger than he should for working at the restaurant for well over 40 years. he’s never spoken about it, but the locals liked to think of him as “the everlasting bachelor” for never seeing him date another person. turns out when you’re well liked, the patrons don’t question you much. that, and aoki was well known for helping people flee inazuma inside food crates up until he left himself ( and even then, he has systems in place and loyal friends to help anyone wanting to escape still ). now, the patrons at uyuu wonder what ever happened to their beloved aoki.

story 2: despite wearing clothes more aligned with liyue or mondstadt, youta is always seen with a haori draped over otherwise foreign attire. it’s undoubtedly odd to see traditional inazuma wear outside of the country, but youta wanted at least one part of his culture to remain even outside the borders. his haoris vary in detail and extravagance, but his favorite and most worn is a dark green one with a pine tree pattern, the kanji for protection a bright white and largely printed on the back. it reminds him of home, and a past long forgotten.

the makers of his haoris, narajiro and shakuhachi, are fellow refugees from inazuma and some of the people he wholeheartedly trusts. the unkaku family are in fact the only people that have learned about his true identity, sworn to secrecy and willing to help youta with whatever he needs. out of all the places youta goes, he goes to their shop the most frequently. in addition to making and repairing his clothes, they also share valuable intel with youta, and in turn he does whatever they want with him. in a world where promises and bonds are often broken, he is thankful to have a few people he can count on.

story 3: having left inazuma approximately one year ago, after the vision hunt decree was put in place, aoki fled on a merchant boat to liyue. he could’ve stayed and saved other people, as he thinks about at night, but his true identity being discovered would only cause more trouble. so, now in liyue and going by youta, he began his journey to get stronger. he had originally planned to stay at wangshu inn or qingce village, but ultimately decided on staying at liyue harbor for the easy port access.

in his somewhat short time living in liyue harbor, youta has begun to think of it of a home away from home. the way of life there is starkly different than life back at inazuma, but it’s grown on him. he rarely spends time in the city, but he lets himself enjoy the hustle and bustle of the city life once in a while. he doesn’t plan on staying long once he’s able to go back home, but maybe he’ll return for a pleasure trip and say hello to some new friends.

story 4: in times like these, the loneliness threatens to swallow youta whole. having to live for thousands of years, never dying, and watching countless people come and go and die gets to even the most distant of people. as one of the few remaining old gods still alive, even undercover, youta couldn’t help but feel like time was moving too slow and too fast at the same time. after the “death” of rex lapis, the loneliness only worsened. while he was never close to the geo archon, nor did the archon know that he was in fact still alive, the pain that stabbed his heart was worse than any mortal wound. with each passing day, the world youta knew slipped further and further away.

in the days where he feels lost, youta finds himself at the edge of the ocean. as the waves gently wash over his feet, youta remembers that out there, somewhere, his home is out there and a countless number of people suffering. knowing his people were under the tyrannical rule of the inazuma bakufu reignites his motivation, and like the earth, ceases to give in to the pain. with naginata in hand, youta steels his resolve to save his people.

story 5: in his time of living and protecting the people of inazuma, many folktales and legends have been made about a deity known as saruta ( derived from sarutahiko ōkami ). some legends tell of him slaying giant catfish, or him defeating an entire invading army with a single poisonous thorn. the truth or accuracy of the tales is up for debate. as a thank you for protecting the common folk of inazuma for thousands of years, the people began to dot the countryside with blue evergreen trees, a symbol and a hope for everlasting protection.

however, after his death, the trees that were once a symbol of hope became a memorial. as baal took over, and with their protector gone, the people of inazuma look towards the tall pines in a prayer that one day saruta would come back to save them. little do they know, their hope isn’t lost yet. across the ocean, youta yearns to see the blue trees once again.

[lyansi]

Chapter Summary: She finds solace in the menial house-tasks; washing the floors, scrubbing the laundry clean, even airing out their furnishings. The tasks keep her busy and her mind doesn’t wander on the what ifs. 

But suddenly, he is there. And demanding things of her. What does he want?

Disclaimer: Rumiko Takahashi is responsible for the Inuyasha series, I only lay claim on the story I have written.

Read this work on AO3

Shinagawa, Tokyo, Japan

June 19, 1946

1428:14 PM

“Sota! Hurry up, your friends are here to walk to school with you. And don’t forget your textbooks this time!” 

Kagome uses her free hand to hold open the bamboo screen, the other holds tight to her futon-tender, a long bamboo stick with intricate loops at one end. Behind her, three students entertain one another with conversation. Her blue eyes turn back to them and inform of her younger brother's descent. She hears behind the curtain Sota’s loud footfalls as he approaches the entrance. 

“I don’t know why I have to go— it would be more helpful if I worked in the fields with Mama and jii-chan.”

A lanky dark-haired young man pushes up the curtain. His bangs usually pushed to the right, are greased back in a professional manner. A frown sets on his face as he speaks to his sister. 

Kagome glares at him, placing her hands defiant on her hips. The stick almost knocks into him and he is forced to take a step back. He stands a head taller than her, but this doesn’t daunt her one bit. 

“Absolutely not! You are to go to school every—single—day and finish. Education is so important these days! Do you know how hard Mama and I work to make sure you graduate?” Kagome jabs a finger in his chest as she punctuates her words. His friends chuckle as she lectures him. 

Her words rang true though— there was so much at stake, and Sota could have a future she would never have. A formal education, the opportunity to study abroad, a life full of happiness and prosperity. 

If only he would stop forgetting his textbooks at home!

“Go on now— did you grab the book as I said?” This time, Kagome is pointing the bamboo stick at him. He holds up a faded hardcover volume clutched in one hand. 

Sota rolls his eyes as he moves past his older sister. He falters a moment and glances over his shoulder. Shadows cast over honey-brown eyes. “Don’t work too hard today, nee-chan. You look like you need sleep.” 

Sucking in a deep breath, Kagome’s lips twist down. She turns back to the wooden drainboard. 

The heaviness of the last few years weighs upon her. She has been in a state of perpetual exhaustion. When was the last time she even had a restful night of sleep? There had been so many years sowed with anguish.

With the brunt of her strength, Kagome begins to dust out the thick futon slung over the drainboard.

It started with the death of her father in the uprisings of 1935. 

She remembers how her mother fainted upon hearing the news. Within a few short months, Mama who was once so full of life and vigor withdrew into herself. Soon she was so thin that Kagome feared that any embrace would snap her in half. In the wake of her fathers death, and the brief time of her mothers depression, Kagome took it upon herself to help out as a farm tenant in the afternoons.

Then in 1940 Japan entered into the Tripartite Pact.

That year was especially difficult. The country had already been barren with food shortages. The rice rations happened not only in the mainland but beyond to the colonies in Korea and in parts of China. Upon entering the treaty, pre-war efforts put a strain on the communities already struggling. This also meant their borders would be forever closed to their friends in the West, who still funneled resources into their economy. Likewise, it was the year she decided to leave school to work full-time alongside her grandfather and mother as sharecropper, concluding a chapter in her life. 

The sun begins its ascent above her with nary a cloud shielding its bright beauty. Sweat beads on Kagome’s forehead and she takes a moment to fan herself cool. A thin haze of dust surrounds her like a fine mist. One could almost compare it to the fog created on a humid day in the winter season.

Kagome brandishes her arm to dissipate the cloud but is unsuccessful; tasuki ties back her yukata sleeves, the knot pressed between her shoulder and axilla. Suddenly she hears the reverberating sound of a car backfiring. An angry squeal and a holler sound in the distance. 

Raising her free hand above her eyebrow as a visor Kagome peers down the road. The distinctive shape of a utility vehicle, its blue-green paint reflecting the sun, is parked down the street. The American flag hangs off the right side of the vehicle. She could make out the shape of a military man behind the wheel of the car, seeming to throw his hands up in frustration. Pursing her lips, Kagome returns back to the futon, continuing her previous exertion.

At the beginning of the 1941 winter, Japan declared war on their American friends. 

Kagome was fearful that her mother, who had not yet turned forty, would be called into service. Her grandfather, on the other hand, had lucked out of service. He had turned sixty-two that year; he held his head high and spoke proudly of joining the war efforts, had he been in better health and allowed to.

Through the next few years, as men were conscripted into the war, they were able to make a meager living as farmland tenants. Under the laws at the time, their landlord acquired the majority of their harvest, which was subsidized to be sent to the military. Despite the fact that the price for the sale of rice rose, their labor wagers did not reflect those changes. What scanty income they did make, Kagome always made sure to put away money for Sota’s schooling.

“Higurashi-san.”

The previous year, 1945, was the worse though. 

In March, the bombings started. Her mother and grandfather thankfully had been outside the city edges at that time. Her grandfather had terrible pains and neighbors recommended a foreign doctor, way out in the countryside. It was a day walk away and even by carriage took several hours. 

“Higurashi-san.”

Sota had been on the other side of the city. He was staying with a friend for the evening to work on extra coursework.

Unlike her mother, her grandfather, or even her brother, Kagome hadn’t been so fortunate. She had finished selling the last of their shared crops in the towns center when the first bomb struck. Although not at the epicenter, the fire that sprouted in the aftermath could have killed her. 

She was luckier than most with minor physical scars. As long as she wore her kimono sleeves down, no one was the wiser. 

“Higurashi-san!”

Chest heaving, Kagome turns to the voice calling out to her. Tears threaten to spill but she holds well not to allow it so. Her neighbor, Okamoto-san, stands in front of her. Next to her is the man that she immediately recognizes as the Nisei Officer. Although he wasn’t the only Nisei on the island, he was the only one holding a rank higher than most. He was so well-known that his prominence neared that of  Marshall MacArthur. 

He stands several feet above her and is so tall that she actually needs to tilt her head back and still, she only catches the bottom of his chin. It makes her realize how close he stands and takes a step back.

“Hello.” She speaks softly and casts her eyes downward. As she does so, she swipes away the tears from her eyes. When she glances back up amber eyes focus not on her face but on her arm. She feels a hot shame overcome her and loosens the knot at her shoulder. The straps loosen and as she covers the red welts that wrap around her forearm.

“May I help you?” She speaks slow, trying her best to pronounce the words in English correctly. The words form shapes her mouth does not often make, movements foreign to her tongue. Amber eyes train themselves back on blue, and a quiet contemplation swims behind the gaze. The officer is as surprised by her shame as he is by her words.

“Do you speak English?” The words come out in a quick burst. It takes Kagome a moment to roll the words back and forth in her head as she attempts to translate them. 

“I know only a bit of English.” She gestures with her forefinger and thumb.

The man drums his fingers across his clipboard, a frown written across his lips. His eyes are staring down at the list before him. They flick back up to her and then down again. 

“Shouldn’t you be in school?” He asks, eyes trained downward. One hand tightens around a pen that begins to tap with impatience against the side of the rigid board. Before she has a chance to give a response though, he sighs with exasperation.

“Is there an adult here? Perhaps I can speak to your father?” He questions instead. And then he peers behind her at the small hovel, with its thatched roof and missing doorframe. It takes all of Kagome’s willpower not to slap him across the head with her stick. 

“My English is not so good, do you speak Japanese?” She says instead, this time in her native language. She allows the switch of language to buffer her anger. “Is there something I can help you with?”

He nods, finally glancing at her. The sun shines against his eyes and amber irises glow gold. It also highlights the speckles of silver in his blond hair. The officer is a handsome man with a strong jawline and a straight nose. His skin is tanned and  standing close she sees freckles smear across the bridge of his nose. His hair is combed over to one side on top while the sides taper off around his ear and neck.

“I am Lieutenant no Taisho, with the Committee for Land Reform. I have documents that your family is registered to take over as new owners for this hectare? It states that the previous owner was one…Akitoki Yuji.” He is all business now and unblinking. 

The name pulls at her heart and she quickly squashes the memories.

“We need to make sure that all the paperwork has been properly put together. In addition, it is important for us to understand if your family will be working farm landowners or non-working farm landowners. We also need to know how many hectares of farmland you will be leasing and the financial aspects of the payment conditions need to be evaluated.” Lieutenant no Taisho explains in Japanese. It is so clear, and his accent is perfect, she could have mistaken him for a native-born man. His words, however, cut through her like a knife in water. 

 She stands unmoving for several moments, thinking at the list of responsibilities she suddenly has. It reminds her of the continued situation that she, and her family, found themselves in the wake of a post-war society, grappling with aspects of the economy they had never had to worry about before.

Azabu, Tokyo, Japan

April 17. 1910

Our family has prospered for many generations under the bakufu, but at what cost? As the last of the cherry blossom petals fall from the sky, it reminds me of the renewal of our Empire. The great Goisshin and end of sakoku!

Under Emperor Meiji, Nippon has had wealth of heights never before seen. By opening the ports to our friends in the West it helped create prosperity all over our great Empire. The shoguns of the past have suffered the most under this new system. Chichi-ue is insistent on trades and negotiation and refuses to accept modernization.

I do not think chichi-ue would be most fond if he learned of the literature that has been brought into the Gakushujo. The periodicals with girls of skin equally as pale and their hair. Eyes the color of the sea. The books on the theories of public affairs, leadership, and governing of people. The stories of fields upon fields that are not green: a sea of yellow, a sky of pure blue. Where rice is not a national identity.

The older girls talk of attending to the study-abroad program in the United States of America. I fear the day upon which Ozawa-sensei asks chichi-ue for permission to send me upon that journey.

It’s not that I do not wish to join my friends in this voyage: to see a world beyond the coasts of Nippon; to meet those that do not speak my language; to eat foods that I am unfamiliar with. These are experiences I wish most to attend.  

Chichi-ue has other plans for my life. He has arranged for me to meet a man, the son of someone he worked with many years ago. Haha-ue has been most opposed to those plans. She wishes for me to finish my education and continue my studies in the theory of public affairs. Haha-ue has not been able to stop chichi-ue’s decision for me to attend the omiai though. I realize she will not be able to stop him when he withdraws me from school.

We have fallen on hard times. Chichi-ue has taken the last of his fathers' paintings to sell. Next will be haha-ue’s uchikake and then my kimonos. I expect soon, we will sell the house. This is why he has arranged the omiai. I have not yet laid my eyes upon my future betrothed, but I know of his name: Setsuna no Takemaru. I am told he is a handsome man. A prosperous man. It is said that of his past grandfathers served as a samurai under Nobunaga Oda himself. He is a man worthy of marriage according to chichi-ue.

Is this truly the life I wish to live? Am I to be traded off like cattle and prepared for slaughter?

Shinagawa, Tokyo, Japan

June 19, 1946

1309:28 PM

Inuyasha continues to tap his pen impatiently against the clipboard, silent. A film of dirt clings to her skin but it does not hide the color that drains from her face. Blue eyes stare up at him in unquestionable horror. 

She must have a Western relative, to have eyes as piercing blue as hers are. 

“Do you have that information now?” He asks again in Japanese as he waits for a response. Amber eyes look back down to his clipboard, eyeing the number of names that follow “Higurashi”. There was five other families on the list with whom he needed to speak to regarding land ownership. 

Just before the end of the war, landholding kept a noose on those tenants that sought to earn an income. Should a tenant want to work on a landowners farm, it was required to give up all crops but that required for a family of a certain number to survive— and sometimes, less than. As rice grew in cost all over the country, landholders became very rich. That was not trickled down to those that worked the fields however, and the income gap increased with each passing season. Major land reforms helped bring equal distributions to those in a rural society. 

In the wake of the war, instated programs by the United States helped dismantle large plantations into individual plots, sold dirt cheap. It helped to collectively allow more peasant farmers to own their own land and strengthen the growth of the agricultural business through diversifying crops. 

“I’m sorry but my grandfather has that information secured. He is in the fields with Mama though, I won’t be able to get it right now…” His eyes snap back to her face as she speaks again. 

“Okay, I would like you to take this…” Inuyasha shuffles through his papers until he finds the sheet of interest. He scribbles down an address first in English, on instinct, before recalling the situation. He scratches out the direction before re-writing the location in simplified kanji. He turns the clipboard in her direction.

“This is the location of my office.” Inuyasha circles the written address. “You will need to call the office to make an appointment first; here is the phone number.” He taps the right hand side of the page with his pen several times before underlining it. He practically rips the sheet from out of the clip board and thrusts it in her hands. As he does so, he notices a resolve settle in her eyes.

“I will do it.” She says simply. 

And then. 

“Are we done?” 

He raises a thick eyebrow, surprised by the sudden dismissal. It is unusual for such occurrences— often, he was forced to bend himself time and time again in their manners and gestures. It was exhausting for him as he tried to learn and understand the culture. Especially as many of the islanders expected him to have already understood it. 

Although an Issei, an immigrant-born Japanese-American, to his knowledge his mother never practiced any her Japanese culture. She only spoke Japanese in the house and was insistent that he only speak it with her and in the confines of their home. It was not until her passing that he realized how much memorabilia she had  safeguarded, even from him.

His mother was an enigma he would never fully understand. 

This country was equally a conundrum he found himself thrust into. 

A hand waves in front of his face.

“Are you okay?” A look of concern flashes across her face, eyebrows knit together and mouth pursed in confusion. 

Inuyasha frowns and practically glares at her, as if she were at fault for his situation. 

“Just remember to call and make an appointment. You will lose your land if you do not complete this in a timely manner.” He points to the sheet of paper before turning on his heel and storming away. 

Behind him, the woman’s face quickly changes from one of confusion to one of restrained anger. Her fingers clench tighter around the stick she holds and she bounds off to release the frustration. 

[jadeswritinggarden]

Guardians - Chapter 1

(2768 words)

I didn’t want to leave.

Not this soon. Not now. Not today.

My stomach twisted at the thought of leaving my home that sits on the edge of the capital. Sasaka, my city, was quaint compared to Amosaia. Just outside of the capital’s region, Sasaka is the capital of the region of Cao Toa.

My lessons usually feel like an eternity. The royal house issued private tutor spends hours droning on about my history. How the original guardians were the only eight people who prayed to the gods. It was always boring. But today, I couldn’t be less eager for my lessons to end.

The library we studied in was empty besides me and Ms. Anantasu. Her words echo in the dusty old room with bookshelves lining the walls.

I’ve been to the one in the palace. It puts our library to shame. Light clung to the floors as the afternoon sun hangs in the sky. Thin curtains dyed a shade of indigo reserved for royals and nobles try their best to keep the light out. Dust floats around lazily in the air. I can almost feel it in my lungs.

The wooden table I sit at is plain. Much unlike the dining room table or the tea table in my room. The chair is plain to match. A set of boring furniture that would most likely be the centerpiece of any normal home. Both Mother and Father are from noble families so this is the only piece of boring furniture in the entire mansion.

Time ticks on all too fast.

Clinging to every word Ms. Anantasu speaks, I suddenly find myself wanting more history. Not for the sake of learning but to keep me here. If she never stops talking I can never leave. I’d be forced to stay here. Safe in my home. Far from the palace and the royal family.

Tell me about the Festival of Prayers again! I plead in my head, not daring to speak aloud. Tell me about the Feast of Oceans! Anything! Everything!

“Before the gifts of the gods, we fought like animals. Always at each other’s necks over things that almost seem ridiculous nowadays. Control of land. Control of waterways. Control of precious resources. Control. We as a society have always craved control. Like water or food, we called to it till it became apart of our nature.” Ms. Anantasu spoke elegantly with great dictation. Her words were never mumbled or tangled.

“Eight strangers from the eight kingdoms gathered in the most spiritual place in all of Ducrieca, the temple of balance between the kingdoms of life and death. Five royals, three normal people. Nestled high up in the mountains, standing in the clouds, the temple of balance was the birthplace of the guardians.” Ms. Anantasu continues. I knew this all by heart. Though this did seem to be a new book.

The eight gained powers but two had them revoked, thus war ensued. The two kingdoms fought over land, resources, and just about anything else they could. Anger over the gods taking the only glory the two kingdoms had, they warred against each other.

“Thus the remaining guardians worked together, using their gifts and social power, to end the wars.” She attempts to toss interest into the story, aware I have heard this all before. It doesn’t really work. If it was a normal day, I would be ignoring her, daydreaming. But I listen to every word. I savor every word.

Once you hear something for the millionth time in a row, you start to tune it out.

Over and over again, I heard of the Council of Ducrieca, who protected the three mainlands of Ducrieca. Ziukoa, Esca, and Florela where the three lands which eight kingdoms stood. Once warring for centuries. Blah blah blah. There was nothing more for me to learn. I knew it all. And everything after that seems bland in comparison.

Nothing interesting happens anymore. Though I suppose that isn’t an entirely bad thing. People rarely die at the hand of another kingdom.

We fight, sure, but no wars have been waged since the war of life and death. Which has the most ironic name because it was by far the most docile war we ever had. But that was still far before I was born. Over one hundred and seventy years ago. Nothing ever happens now.

Yet here I am, listening to Ms. Anantasu go on and on about something that could have happened yesterday with the way she speaks of it.

“And that’s all for today.” She snaps the book shut. The loud crisp sound brings me back from my soft daze. Ms. Anantasu looks at me with a soft smile. She reminded me of Mother. If Mother was kinder, smarter, and focused on greater education. “We will continue when you return.”

“Yes, ma’am.” I rise from the plain wooden chair. The table was covered with various books and parchments from today’s lessons. Maths, history, geography, diplomacy, politics, everything useful for a future member of the Council of Ducrieca. One day I will work hand-in-hand with Princess Dieu to run the kingdom. Her and her council. Which I will also be apart of. When I am of age I will be a member of both the Council of Ducrieca and the Amosaia Council.

I help gather the papers and books to put them away. Ms. Anantasu and I work silently side-by-side. The work goes by quickly.

Ms. Anantasu is tall and lean, like my mother. Her face carries wrinkles on the same places. Smile lines, crow’s feet, and lines creasing on her forehead. They show not age but knowledge. She is barely Mother’s age yet she has years of knowledge on her. Whispers of where she got her knowledge surrounds her like dust.

After about twenty books and ten papers, we finish. The table is as empty as it was this morning.

Ms. Anantasu still weaves in and out of bookshelves, the gray tail of her dress the only sign of her presence. Not even for a moment am I relieved that our lesson is over. Not for one breath. Today was a normal length for our studies yet it felt so much shorter.

It was around midday. Luncheon would be soon if we were even having it today. Give it a few more hours and the sun would set happily over the oceans in the west. With winter upon us, our days has grown cooler. The only drastic change I notice with the change of seasons is the thunderstorms. In summer they rage on every day at almost the exact same time. In winter the skies are cloudless.

In kingdoms such as Helvannar and Terratrone, the northern kingdoms, I hear the change is much more drastic. It even goes as far as only a few hours of sunlight in winter. I don’t think I’d be able to handle that.

Reluctantly, I step out of the library. As much as I want to stay, I don’t want to stay enough to be in there alone. Ms. Anantasu stays in the library, blissfully alone. Where she enjoyed being alone in the library, I avoided it at all costs.

The history of it was like a nightmare. Even thinking about it sends chills down my back. Not only had it survived three fires, but it has also been the scene of many deaths and murders. The most recent being my aunt Tasanee’s death.

If you are in the room for too long when alone, you can still hear her singing. A haunting voice. How a room like that still was occupied every day was what scared me the most. It was like the room was slowly drawing in souls to feed the constant knowledge. Sometimes I swear an evil spirit keeps the room safe.

Outside the library my handmaid Kannika waits. Standing with me she could almost be considered short. She knew my lessons would end soon. They always end at the same time of day. Rarely stretching on longer, even less frequently shorter.

Lamon, a guard sent by the royal house rounded the corner to join us. He’d be accompanying me and Father for our trip to Amosaia. It was barely a two-hour trip yet we always planned it to be an entire day. Not only would Lamon be joining us but a guard for Father and a few others for both of us. Lamon was considered my personal guard for these types of trips.

The aching in my stomach only grew as I walked through the halls. As I walk, I am painfully aware of the guard who flanks my side.

My family didn’t have many guards. Some at the front gate, some who patrol, but not many. And they were all council issued. Despite the fact that Father and I could very easily protect ourselves, the Amosaia Council didn’t feel the same.

Mother appreciated the extra protection. Father didn’t.

Despite being the daughter of one of, if not the wealthiest governors in all Mercycaea and being the most influential nobles alive, Mother tends to spend her time gardening. Outside, in the humidity and heat. Among the soil and plants is where she shines. Her love of the fine things in life shows in her plants, our furniture, and her wardrobe. And her childhood ideals show in her strict rules.

Part of me longs to abandon this place. Change into my riding clothes, take my horse Quy, and leave. Go north through the region of Sa Tau. Leave Mercycaea altogether. Take on a new name in Etha, live as a fisherman. Never speak to the people who raised me again. Become a myth. No more than a children’s tale.

But those, as Kannika calls them, are just intrusive thoughts. They don’t reflect who I am or what I want. Not truly. That’s what Kannika tells me.

My midnight blue gown flows behind me as I walk down the halls. I don’t turn towards the hall leading to my room. No matter how much I long to.  My hands don’t find my riding boots or Quy’s reins. I’m left empty handed and longing for the rush of a ride far away from here.

My quick pace through the halls keeps both Lamon and Kannika on their toes. I might not be leaving on my own terms for a long time, but I am headed outside. That’s where I’ll find them. Beelining for the door that leads out of the palace-like mansion I live in, I’m suddenly thankful that Kannika does not report my every movement to Mother.

My last handmaid did that. She told Mother everything I did, from eating to leaving the home. Me and Achara did not get along well. It was nearly impossible to get anything done with both Mother and her breathing down my neck. She was more of a nanny rather than a handmaid. I outgrew her and she knew it. Having ‘retired’ over a year ago, Kannika jumped in the role.

Lamon and I have spent very little time together. He only comes around when Father and I need to visit the capital. He doesn’t speak often. I think I’ve heard him speak a combined total of ten times.

I don’t care to get to know him. He is sent here by the royal house to insure I don’t turn up on their doorstep dead.

Whereas Kannika was short and plump, Lamon was tall and lanky. His experience and speciality was apparent. A runner and archer. Not a swordsman. Still, a blade sat at his side and his bow and arrows on his back. His age was as clear as his black hair and tan skin. He isn’t much older than me but has years of training. Lamon could easily defeat me in a hand-to-hand battle, whether or not his speciality is bows.

The door I’ve worked so hard to get too swings open with my hand. It reveals a hot afternoon garden. Guards on break practice sparring with both real and wooden weapons. It isn’t an odd image to me. I spend many hours here with Pensri and Daw, friends who are in the private guard that are stationed here year round.

This is what Mother calls the servants’ garden. A green space by the barracks meant to be a training ground for new recruits. Eventually, once the guard was full and there was no need for new recruits, it became a recreational space for those overworked.

It is bright outside today. The humidity immediately clings to my skin and lungs. The air feels like a thick syrup. Thunderheads loom over the horizon, just out of sight. The sky is preparing for the evening thunderstorms. A telltale sign of summer.

With Kannika and Lamon in tow, I push myself further into the outdoors. This is one of three gardens on our property. Really, if we were royals, this place could be considered a palace. One for fruits and vegetables, taken care of by servants. This one for the guards and a third for Mother. Only the professional gardeners, Mother, and her closest advisors are allowed. I might be allowed if I asked but I’m not sure I want to go there.

The gold-tinted grass under me crunched under every step of my small heels. Palms waved in the wind even though the ocean is around two hours away by horse. There were no exotic or elaborate plants but it was enough. Guards, some in armor others in tunics and leggings, laid out on the grass under the palms.

I scan the area for Pensri or Daw but they are nowhere to be seen. Daw and Pensri normal work early morning and late night shifts guarding the grounds. Pensri likes to spend her extra time sparring with anyone willing. She even likes to train me whenever possible. I enjoy the physical outlit. Daw likes to join the table of card playing guards in the barracks. Not always gambling money but their games are always interesting to watch.

I’ve known them both since I was a young teen. Back when they had only just joined the guard. Both were so scrawny and weak. We were all evenly matched back then. Just as equally scrawny. But their captain whipped them up into shape in no time. It wasn’t long before they both could over power me.

“Are Daw or Pensri out?” I walk up to one of the guards I recognize. As far as I know, he shares many shifts with them.

“No, sorry. They are working double time. Something about being caught gambling.” The boy replies nonchalantly, not looking up from the sword he works to shine.

Ah, that makes sense. Though very lenant, their captain, the man Mother hand picked, does not allow gambling. Hopefully that doesn’t mean I won’t be able to see them before I leave. I’ll be gone at least three days, with meetings and dinners.

The boy’s copper hair reflected easily in the sword. It acted as a dull mirror. I let a low sigh escape me.

“Do you know when they will have a break?” Searching for any kind of time to see them, even if it’s right before I leave, I ask a most likely stupid question.

“I think cap’n has them working all evening and night. Sorry, ma’am.”

Of course they wouldn’t be free. Curse the skies. Why did they get caught gambling the day I leave?

“Alright. Thank you anyways,” I turn back to Kannika, disappointed the garden has nothing for me. Much to my dismay, Lamon is still standing right next to Kannika. Watching me like a hawk. Out of the corner of my eye I can see the people in the garden eye Lamon’s royal crest that is painted clearly on his armor. “Let’s go inside.” I mumble.

The lack of being able to see Pensri and Daw before I leave for a big visit to the capital puts me in a foul mood. They definitely won’t be coming with us.

“We have to finish your packing anyways.” Kannika states. “And you have one last early supper with your mother before you and your father leave.” She knew of my disappointment with everything happening today. If someone didn’t know I’d wonder if they were blind and deaf. The supper with Mother would be icing on the cake. A really crappy cake that tasted of mushrooms and beef.

“Very well,” Reluctantly I head towards the door that would eventually lead to the dining room.

Tonight would not be easy.

Tag list: Message or lmk if you want to be added!

[wackygoofball]

Gifset: Jaime x Brienne - Master & Commander AU

Jaime Lannister, Lieutenant of King’s Landing’s Royal Fleet, finds himself stuck at the capitol, though he wants nothing more but be at the sea to serve his duty and defend the realm. Especially in times of war, Jaime sees his purpose not in the least being stuck in parlors and attending social gatherings of the upper class, but rather in hunting down the ships that keep striking at the capitol and its territories.

He is aware that he does not enjoy the best of reputations, following his execution of his former commander Aerys Targaryen in the rise of a mutiny on their voyage to Old Valyria, of which the exact circumstances he never revealed to the public for his very own reasons. However, that does not stop the Lieutenant from wanting to serve his country – to his very own conditions.

Things take a sudden turn when Jaime is approached by one of his superiors during an official banquet held at the Red Keep. As the blond man has to learn from the General – and a letter by his father, Tywin Lannister, a very influential merchant in Westeros who has friends in all social spectra of importance, his times at parlors may finally be over.

As it turns out, Jaime just earned himself a promotion to the status of Commander, and is even rewarded with a brand-new ship – and a mission. Jaime’s joy is very short-lived, because the now Commander of the Royal Fleet is very much aware that his father has his hands in this to a certain end. Tywin Lannister wants his oldest son to quit his military service to take over the family empire in due time, Jaime is aware, and having his eldest promoted into high-ranking positions will inevitably tie him to the mainland instead of the dangers of the sea.

Jaime feels very tempted to just turn down the offer, but he also knows that he won’t get a ship unless he accepts the promotion. And when the General let shim know of the nature of his mission, Jaime has a change of heart after all. Because the mission is about hunting down a ship from the Iron Fleet, with which the Crownlands are at enmity in the war, that has gained mythical status. No one of the Royal Fleet was yet able to defeat the Silence in battle. It strikes out of nowhere with lethal accuracy – and if their streak continues, this ship may well turn the tide in the war in favor of the Iron Fleet, something that they cannot afford to have happen.

Jaime reckons that this is the end of surprises, but when the General lets him know that his mission also involves the exploration of uncharted territories of the Narrow Sea, he pricks his ears.

As the General explains, “Part of the reason for the Iron Fleet to succeed far too often as of late is the captain’s ability to maneuver our ships into not yet charted areas of the Narrow Sea. We have studied the sparse reports that we received from the few survivors there are, and they all note that the sea turned against them in the decisive moments of the battle, as undercurrents they were not aware of caught them off-guard, and gave them away for the Silence to strike them down.”

“And how would you mean to help that cause if we are to maneuver into the same waters to the same end, General?”

“I enlisted the most able cartographer in the Seven Kingdoms to our cause,” the older man answers.

“You mean you found the ominous B.o.T.?” Jaime chuckles, impressed. Any map that bears this signature is bound to be of excellence, he knows, normally requesting those maps whenever he goes on his missions. A good map can make the difference between life and death on a mission, the Commander is aware, but compared to what else is out there, maps by B.o.T. are certainly turning winds in your favor. There are hardly any maps that are more precise, detailed, and specifically tailored to a captain’s needs than these.

“It was not as much of a quest of finding B.o.T., as it was to convince authorities of requesting the service,” the General replies with a smile, before calling out for the cartographer to come inside.

Jaime’s shock is only doubled once he sees a tall, mannish looking woman with brilliant blue eyes approach.

“Is that a woman?!”

“Your eye for detail is as great as I have heard, Mr. Lannister,” the woman huffs as she takes her position in front of him, ready to pick a fight for all Jaime can see.

“Mr. Lannister, meet Miss Brienne of Tarth,” the General announces.

“So you are B.o.T.”

“Yes.”

“Not very creative choice of initials, in case you meant to disguise your true identity, Miss Tarth.”

“Well, in fact, only General Goodwin is aware of my identity, because he knows me since I was all but a child. Therefore, I suppose I do not require making up aliases, do I?” she answers, less than pleased with the Lieutenant’s, no, now Commander’s, reaction. While it is all Brienne ever expected to come from a man, for she has known just that behavior for all her life, the young woman was somewhat hopeful that the man would at least bring himself to recognize her apparent use in his mission.

Brienne wants to help the Seven Kingdoms win over the Iron Fleet, which has haunted the seas she calls her home for far too long. And beyond that, she has her own ambition that drives her to pursue the dangerous mission: Brienne, ever since she started mapping the oceans, dreamed about charting those territories no cartographer has put down in an atlas, to the point that she can hopefully one day publish the best set of maps, the best atlas, there is.

However, so long the Iron Fleet keeps its hold on the Narrow Sea with is lethal clutch, Brienne knows she won’t ever get a chance to chart the territories waiting to be explored and banned on a map.

Jaime Lannister remains less than pleased with the prospect of the defiant Miss Tarth joining his mission.

“It is absolutely impossible to take a woman onboard for such a mission, General. That is completely out of question,” he insists.

“I sailed myself, Mr. Lannister. And I do know how to swim, fret not,” she argues.

“That is the least of my concerns, Miss Tarth. My concern is for what may happen on the ship I am to command. And for the mission we are to undertake, it would be contrary to the common cause of hunting down the Silence – if you were to tag along.”

“Why would that be, Mr. Lannister?” she wants to know.

“I can’t have a woman on a ship with fifty men who won’t see land in a long time, with the fear of never returning back home travelling with all of us. I cannot have a woman onboard when there are all those men who won’t see anyone of your sex in Gods know how long,” Jaime explains. “A woman of noble birth no less, if I am not mistaken, Miss Tarth. I cannot imagine that it would be in your father’s interest to have you travel with a bunch of men who barely know their manners.”

“I can very well deal with that on my own, Commander. It needn’t concern you. I have knocked men into the dust for all my life. Your men will hardly pose a challenge,” Brienne retorts defiantly. Little does that man know of what she can do. Brienne learned to handle all kinds of weapons, even though that is certainly frowned upon by society. She knows how to defend herself.

Brienne of Tarth does not need anyone to protect her, less so the likes of the infamous Jaime Lannister, known as the Kingslayer throughout the country.

A man without honor.

“Have you been on such a mission before, Miss Tarth?” he challenges.

“I have travelled the seas of Westeros for a long time in order to do my work.”

“But have you travelled with men on a mission that may mean their deaths? For a long period of time where there is no chance of land? Do you have any idea what people bring to light in dark times such as this, Miss Tarth? Because, trust me, that is not the kind of stuff they write about in chronicles or put down on a map.”

Brienne steps closer, narrowing her big blue eyes at him. “I sleep with a dagger under my pillow ever since I came to the capitol, Mr. Lannister. My safety need not be your concern.”

“But it will be my concern if you travel with us,” he retorts furiously. “Because that makes your safety my responsibility.”

“As it is your responsibility to serve your men’s safety to the best of your abilities?” she scoffs.

“Yes, exactly,” he snarls.

“Well, then answer me this, Mr. Lannister: Who is going to help you navigate through the seas that you can’t even find on a map? If your new ship is torn in half by an undercurrent, your men will very likely die, as will you. You have the option of taking along someone who has undoubtedly a reputation as one of the best cartographers, or you can just take anyone and try your luck - and that of your men. Your choice, Commander.”

And while Jaime wants to argue, he has to admit to himself that the stubborn woman has a point. Not that he would ever say so out loud, of course.

And thus, preparations are being made for the unlikely pair of Commander Jaime Lannister and young cartographer Brienne of Tarth to undertake their quest of navigating through the uncharted territories to find and secure the Silence.

However, trouble is only a stone’s throw away as they set sail.

Brienne has to admit to herself very early on that the snarky Commander had a point, finding herself very soon to be target of the sailor’s glances, accusations, and animosity – just like she has to come to terms to this to her still strange way of sailing, which admittedly vastly differs from her voyages to explore the seas around the Sapphire Isle.

And Jaime, similarly, has to recognize that without Miss Brienne, they would be perfectly lost at sea, a point proven almost painfully much as they come into contact with the Silence for the first time, a battle they barely come out of alive thanks to their combined efforts and Brienne’s sharp thinking and oversight of the seas to turn the tide in their favor.

However, the situation remains tensed as Jaime has to wrestle his decision about whether and if so how they want to pursue the mission of taking down the Silence, a task that proves to be increasingly difficult with a crew that is short before mutiny. A situation that is not in the least helped by the growing if complicated attraction between Jaime and Brienne as they find themselves pushed closer and closer together by virtue of finding the men increasingly against them both. Just like they have to admit to themselves as time progresses that they have much more in common than they thought at first.  

Though all of that may drown in the hostile sea that has little comfort to give for the two as they try to keep afloat.

Will the winds blow in the favor or will they remain stranded in the open sea?

Will the Silence break them or will the seagulls guide them the way back to familiar shores?

Only the sea knows the answer…

[goosefightrobinmayor]

Tatterhood

Tatterhood is my fav ever fairytale in it’s original form, so ofc I tackled it first when doing this Glen project.  As such, you can see how like, messy it is, compared to later stuff.  But I still love this girl.

They grew up in the kingdom of Nysgerrig, under the ocean.  It’s not true that Tatterhood left the womb riding a goat- otherwise her mother would have given birth to triplets!  In fact when she was young, she didn’t even have a spoon, or her namesake hood.  All she had was her unusual height and physique, which she used to protect her sister.

For a moment, her parents worried that young Tatterhood would be teased and isolated because of her looks, but that turned out never to be the case- other than some people wondering out loud if Tatterhood had one human and one merperson parent.  It was never a cruel kind of wonder, though.  The people of Nysgerrig were curious; not judgemental.

Anyway, humans and merfolk did marry, and their children never looked like Tatterhood.  They were always born human, though half of them metamorphosed into merfolk in their teen years.

On a map drawn by a land-dweller, Nysgerrig looked like a sliver of coastline and a smattering of islands.  But in truth, most of Nysgerrig was under the waves.  The country had lost it’s capability for magic when the slain princess Seafoam was returned to Nysgerrig to rule.  The princess, however, inspired curiosity in all her subjects.  Curiosity lead to learning, which lead to more curiosity, which lead to invention.  

The humans and merfolk used their learning to get closer to one another.  They used magnets to manipulate water to make it stand and roll around, so that merfolk could move on dry land.  They discovered that they could use the volcanic vents to generate electricity, and that they could harness more electricity from the sun.  Over many generations, the they built dry neighborhood to the underwater city, and slowly moved the humans there.  

But that was many years before the twins were born.  By the twins’ time, humans and merfolk were quite used to their semi-aquatic lifestyles with one another.  

By now, the islands had gone wild.  The creatures on the land- once failing in numbers, now flourished with little sentient intervention.  The air was clean, and the only structures on the islands were solar panels interspersed with the trees.  The strip of mainland had a few farms that provided most of the fruits and vegetables for Nysgerrig.  All the same, the cities had been built well away from important choral wreaths and fish breeding grounds.  Curiosity had also taught them a lot about the creatures around them, and what they needed to flourish.

Tatterhood was- good.  She wanted good things for others.  Her parents used to give her fancy bonnets and dresses, but Tatterhood would give those to charity, and trade them in for tattered old cloaks.  Her mother, annoyed with this, started calling her Tatterhood, and forgot the name she had chosen for her.  Her sister, on the other hand, loved her nice bonnets.  She started calling herself Silkbonnet, or Bonnie, because she loved to be like her sister, even if they shared nothing about aesthetics.

Tatterhood got her wooden spoon to work at a soup kitchen.  She was so eager to work, she bought her own.  However, a kitchen was not her place, and she soon got bored.  Not to mention that the taste of her food left much to be desired.  It’s here where she found her calling, though, when she had to break up a fight between guests.  She was such a natural brawler that she was asked for work as a bodyguard.

The goat was actually a gift from Seafoam herself.  She’d asked the family to come up to the capitol because they’d heard of two girls who were born from a flower.  As soon as Tatterhood saw Seafoam, she was amazed.  Seafoam, too, saw that there was something interesting about the girl, and asked to speak to her alone.

“Are you a hybrid?”  Tatterhood asked once they were alone.

“I’m sorry- a what?”

“A- half-human half-merperson?  I’ve just, never seen someone like you before.”

Seafoam gave a sad smile.  It was true- most merfolk were covered in green or blue scales, deep black eyes and transparent eyelids.  They had gills instead of noses, and fins instead of hair.  They were blubbery, with short, stubby arms, and powerful tails.  Seafoam looked like a merperson from the tail to the waist, but from the waist up looked like a human woman, her hair forming a halo in the gravitized water around her.

“Why do you ask that?”  The question was sarcastic, but Tatterhood missed the sarcasm.

“Because that’s what people think I am,” Tatterhood said.

Seafoam looked surprised, “What?”

“It’s true.  They don’t know for sure.  But I don’t look human, despite having legs a human family.  It’s like I’m a land-dwelling merperson.  And you look like a water-dwelling human.  Are we alike?”

Seafoam laughed, making bubbled in her water wall that escaped into Tatterhood’s air space.  She caught her breath, “Oh darling, of course you’re not half-merperson!  You don’t look like a merperson.”

“Well, that is true,” Tatterhood said, and jutted out her chin.  Yes, she looked totally unique.  More rugged.  Intimidating.  And she had the muscles to back up her looks.

“And I’m not half human,” Seafoam said, “I’m not human at all.  But I did have legs, once.”

“You did?”

She winced, as if in pain, and hugged her tail, “I did.”

“Is that how you came to look human?” Tatterhood asked.

Seafoam cocked her head, as if trying to figure out the answer to that question.  Then, she said, “Listen, Tatterhood.  I’m going to give you some advice.  Be boring.”

“Boring?  What do you mean?”

“I mean,” she nodded, and lowered her voice as if being listened to, “the Narrative Forces made me this way.”

The Narrative Forces.  Yes.  Tatterhood knew about those.  They could make people never die.  She did know for sure that Seafoam was many hundreds of years old- much older than most merfolk.  But why would Seafoam be telling Tatterhood not to live forever?

“With human skin and hair?”

Seafoam nodded, “Do you know how much I hate this hair?  It gets tangled in everything, and I can’t even cut it because it grows back in a few minutes.  Somewhere along the line, the Narrative Forces thought I looked better with the torso of a beautiful human maiden.  And so I’ve been this way for centuries,” she groaned, “I’m not even logical.  I don’t have gills.”

“What?  No gills?  Then how do you breathe?”

“I don’t know!  That’s the problem!”

Tatterhood shuddered all over.  She loved her sister, but she wouldn’t want to turn pretty, not ever.  She liked being strong, and messy, and impulsive and- well, ugly.  She liked being tall and green and having tusks and warts and and pig nose and tail and muscles.  Without those, she wouldn’t feel like herself.

But.  She would like to be a princess.  She admired Seafoam for what she had created in Nysgerrig.  Tatterhood wanted to do good like that, and on that scale.  She even admired that Seafoam did all this while looking kind of funny.  She was mermaid who didn’t look like a mermaid, and Tatterhood was a human who didn’t look like a human.  They really were the same.

Seafoam called the family back, and they answered some questions about the twin’s birth.  At some point, Seafoam got stiff and worried looking.  It was only for a moment, and Tatterhood was the only one who seemed to notice.  Seafoam sent them home, but gave them gifts.  For Bonnie, a lovely bonnet knitted out of the softest kelp.  And for Tatterhood, a wild baby goat the size of a colt.

Her parents feared at first that they wouldn’t be able to handle the goat, until Tatterhood climbed on top of him.  Immediately he calmed down, and Tatterhood rode him out of the throne room.  Her family followed.

Tatterhood adored her goat, who she named Vincent.  He grew even larger, and in a few years was the size of a horse.  Tatterhood took to riding the city on her goat, helping people in trouble either with her diplomacy or her fists and trusty wooden spoon.  

On the twins’ eighteenth birthday, Seafoam called the family to the capitol again, and spoke to Tatterhood.

“Tatterhood, I’ve made a mistake,” she told her.

And then she told her about a deal she made with a delegation of trolls several years ago.  Trolls were creatures who lived far away from Nysgerrig, in the mountains on the land.  Seafoam, who couldn’t leave the ocean much less Nysgerrig, longed to study the wildlife in the trolls’ native land.  The trolls brought her a collection of their livestock, in exchange for something that they lost.  They could come for it in a while.  Seafoam wouldn’t have to find it for them, just not get in their way when they came to claim it.

The deal was worded vaguely, and Seafoam sensed a trap, but her curiosity and her eagerness to learn overpowered for caution.  She agreed.  She now knew that that was a mistake, because she knew what the trolls wanted.

“It’s you, Tatterhood.  You’re not a merperson.  But you’re not really human, either.  You’re half troll.  That’s why I gave Vincent to you instead of the bonnet I created for you.  I suppose it was a weak sort of apology.  But when I saw you tame him, I knew that it was your because of your troll blood.”

Anyone else might have been devastated by this news, but Tatterhood was overjoyed.  Finally, the reason for her being different had a name.  The thought there being other trolls out there she could meet also inspired her.  But not so much what Seafoam said next- about the trolls wanting to take her away from everything- her city, her goat, her sister, to live with them.

“They don’t get to decide that!”

“Of course they don’t.  Which is why I’m going to protect you in the strongest fort in the country.  Trolls are like fae, in that they must keep their promises.  But merfolk and princesses are held to no such standards.  I will break my promise with the trolls, and go to war with them to protect you.”

“And put the people of Nysgerrig in danger?”

“Don’t be foolish- trolls rely on magic, and there is no magic here.  Our armies will crush them.”

“Well I don’t want them to die.  I will go meet them, and tell them I’m not going.”

“That’s foolish.  Tatterhood, remember what I told you about being boring.”

“It’s true,” Tatterhood said, “but I’ve been thinking about it a lot for the past eight years.  And the truth is, I don’t want to be boring.  I want to live forever.  In fact, I want to be a princess!”

“Tatterhood!  But don’t you want to look the way you look?”

“Yes!  Yes I do, definitely,” she nodded vigorously, “you see, I have a plan,” she grinned, “and this fits right into it!  I’m going to become a princess,” she jutted out her chin, “but it’s going to be on my terms.  And, it’ll probably take a while to get just right, so I’ll need some immortality to give me some time.”

Seafoam didn’t like this answer, but Tatterhood had made up her mind.  She found her family, and explained her plan.  Her parents tried to talk her out of it, but Bonnie could see that she was unbudging, so she instead offered to go with her.  Tatterhood was thrilled, and pulled Bonney on top of Vincent with her, and ran away.

Tatterhood met the troll army on the mainland, where some magic was still usable.  Her plan to simply tell them how she felt went down like a lead balloon and they immediately tried to capture her.  Tatterhood escaped, but at a price.  Bonnie had been transformed- given the body of a cow, though she still kept her human head.  

Luckily for the girls, they had gained the attention of the Narrative Forces.  They were in a story now, though, it didn’t have the ending either of them wanted.  They started to wandering the earth, avoiding the trolls, and looking for a way for Tatterhood to become and princess, and for Bonnie to get her body back.

Tatterhood set her sights on helping her sister out.  Though Bonnie didn’t complain out loud, Tatterhood could tell the life of a cow was not for her.  There was so much time that had to be spent eating and then digesting that Bonnie felt like she didn’t have any time for herself by the time she had to sleep again.  When she did sleep, only the ground and piles of hay were big enough for her, as she had a tendency to crush any bed she found.  And her hooves got cracked from so much walking, but Tatterhood and Bonnie could find no one who would make shoes for cows.

But the worst of it were the suitors.  The first time a slightly attractive man came to Bonnie stating that he wanted to help her break her curse, Tatterhood thought Bonnie was lucky.  But after spending an afternoon with him, Bonnie was charging out of town so fast Tatterhood had to ride Vincent to keep up with her.  Tatterhood tried again and again to play matchmaker with a gentleman cursebreaker, but Bonnie rejected them all.  Finally Bonnie explained her reasoning.

“They don’t want to marry me because they love me,” she said, “they want to marry me because they want to break my curse.”

“Well don’t you want your curse broken?”  Tatterhood asked.

“Of course!  But this is marriage, Tatters.  I don’t want to marry to a man I don’t love, and who doesn’t love me.  Think how miserable that would be.”

Tatterhood had never thought of it that way.  She of course had always known that she would have to marry some prince or princess in order to become a Storybook Princess.  But she had thought it would a business arrangement- mutually beneficial for both parties, but not necessarily for the sake of love.  

To tell the truth, Tatterhood didn’t really understand love.  Oh, she understood the love she had for her sister, and her goat, and her family.  But that other kind of love- the love that was supposed to be magical between a person and the one they marry- that thing that was supposed to be all encompassing and surpass all the other loves in her life- she just understand that type of love.  Nor did she want it.  She didn’t want anything to be more important than her sister.

Bonnie shook her head at this, though, “That’s not the kind of love I want, either.  I don’t think that kind of love exists, Tatters.  I know in my heart nothing can take away the love I have for you.  But I am holding my breath that I will meet someone one day- someone I love as much, but differently.  Someone who I can can share a love with because we trust each other so much.  A friend.  Someone who sees me as a friend too, and not just a ticket to immortality.”

This cleared up, Tatterhood stopped playing matchmaker, and vigilantly protected her sister from unwanted advances.  She and Bonnie traveled to all the great cities, looking for some book or some scholer to tell them the way to reverse Bonnie’s curse- one that didn’t involve a sham marriage.  But no one had any help for them.  

While passing through Ausdauer, Tatterhood and Bonnie were scaling a mountain when they came upon an old woman enjoying her tea in her kettle.  They were invited to join her, and gladly did to rest their feet and hooves.  Tatterhood had no provisions to trade for the tea, so she told her their story instead.  A twinkle shone in the woman’s eye but nothing more.

“Why, well not ask me?  I’m a woman of magic, myself.”

“Alright, then,” Tatterhood thought it was at least worth saying the words, “do you know how to Bonnie can get her human form back, without having to marry?”

“Of course.  And you’re going about it all wrong, girl.  Silkbonnet is not cursed.”

“How do you mean that?  She has the body of a cow!”

“Yes, but listen to me.  A curse is a spell cast with ill intent, the intent being to harm another person.  And none of this is true of your ensorcellment.”

Tatterhood stood up, “Explain yourself, crone, or we take the kettle and throw it off the mountainside.”

“You have a temper befitting a troll,” the woman nodded sagely, “you are a troll in almost every way.  Every way but one.”

Tatterhood knew what she was talking about.  What she didn’t know what how the old woman knew.  “Yes,” she said, “it’s true: I’m a troll who can’t do magic.  But how do you know?”

“Girl,” the old woman said, “I know more about you than you can believe, so you must believe what I am telling you now.  You’re not the only half troll here.  Your sister, too has troll ancestry.”

Tatterhood and Bonnie exchanged glances.  “Well,” Bonnie said, “it would make sense.  We are twins, after all.”

“Only in name, though,” Tatterhood said, “we were born of unusual circumstances.”

“Yes, your mother ate two flowers, when she was advised to only eat one.”

They turned back to the crone, “What are you talking about, old woman?”  Tatterhood asked, “And again, how do you know these things?  My mother ate the two flowers, yes, but she said nothing about being advised to eat one.”

“She didn’t tell you about it, but none-the-less, she was advised.”

By now, the twins were rather spooked.  The woman sighed, “The point I’m trying to make is-” she pointed to Bonnie, “you are as much troll as she.  But whereas she has inherited every troll trait but for magic, you have inherited troll magic only.”

“I don’t have magic!”  Bonnie protested, “I never practiced magic in my life!”

“Because you lived in Nysgerrig, where common-magic doesn’t work,” and she gave an exasperated sigh, “why do I have to explain everything to you humans?”

“I thought we were trolls,” Tatterhood said dryly.

“Well you’re certainly thinking like humans.  Use your brains!”

Tatterhood wanted to walk away right then- leave the woman to her rantings.  But Bonnie set her hooves into the earth and said she wanted to hear the woman out.  The woman introduced herself as Bunica, and promised to teach Bonnie how to use her powers.

“It’s no surprise you don’t know you have magic,” the woman said, “you never got a chance to use them.”

“But if I really did enchant myself-”

“What were you feeling just then?”

Bonnie cocked her head to remember, “Scared,” she said, “so much was happening so fast.  I was never so scared in my life.  I thought I was going to lose Tatters.”

Bunica nodded again, “When put in stressful situations, our magic can do extraordinary things.”

“Like turn me into a cow?!  How did that help us, at the time?”

“I dunno,” Tatterhood said, off to the side, “when you got transformed, I knew I had to stop trying to fight fights I couldn’t win and just get out of there.  So in a way, you knocked the hubris outta me.”

“But if I changed myself into this, why didn’t I just turn back when we escaped?”  Bonnie asked, “Me being a cow hasn’t helped us ever since then.”

“Because the magic to change you back is well beyond your knowledge,” Bunica said, “you were full of fear and passion at the time, which created magic that should have been impossible for you.  But now it is very impossible to change back.”

Bonnie rocked on all four of her hooves, “Impossible?  So why are we even talking?”

“Impossible now,” Bunica said, annoyed, “listen, will you?  Of course you’ll be able to change back eventually.  But you must learn how to use your magic, first.”

For a year and a day the twins stayed on the mountain.  Tatterhood couldn’t complain.  She didn’t age, and probably never would again, so there was no point in being impatient.  Bunica started Bonnie on transforming pebbles into gems- small things.  

“Don’t I need ingredients?” Bonnie asked, “Tongue of newt and eye of toad and stuff.  What about a magic wand?  When do I get my wand?”

“Those baubles are crutches,” Bunica said, “you’re a troll.  You don’t need those things.  Just will this pebble to be a sapphire.”

“How can I will it?  The pebble’s will isn’t mine to command.”

“It’s not as long as you have that attitude.”

Bonnie spat out the cud she’d been chewing absently, then made a face when she saw it on the ground.  “Sorry,” she said.

“Don’t worry about it,” she said, and made a gesture.  The earth swallowed up the cud and spat out a strange and unique plant that gave off an enticing smell.  When Bonnie snuck up to it, however, Bunica yelled, “Don’t you dare!”

“Your problem is believing,” Bunica said, “you need to believe that you’re a troll.  Trolls are nature, and therefore, they can alter nature.  You have to ability to tell this pebble how to be, but you must make an honest effort and stop doubting that it’s possible.”

“Can I, though, when I grew up in place with so much metal?  Nysgerrig seemed to separate from nature.”

“You’ll have to, if you ever want to stop chewing cud.”

And Bonnie did try.  But it was difficult, and the difficulty made her doubt herself more, which made it more difficult.  But while on the mountain, she was not bothered by well-meaning suitors.  And though she pained to stand upright and have hands, she would not marry out of desperation to escape this curse.  

On the third day, she transformed the pebble.  Not a full transformation, but there was a stripe of blue crystal through the center of the rock.  Bonnie was so pleased she ran down to the base of the mountain to show Tatterhood, holding the pebble between her teeth.  A small victory, but the encouragement she needed.

When Tatterhood saw the pebble, she knew the witch had been telling the truth, and decided to settle in on the mountain’s side.  She had set up camp- a fireplace and a tent.  But now she set to work creating a cabin where she and her sister could escape the elements.  Bunica had a cave, but she didn’t offer to share it, and Tatterhood didn’t want to push her generosity.

While Bonnie was transforming stones and leaves, Tatterhood used her non-magical gifts to transform trees into logs, and logs into a home.  She built a house that was sturdy, with wide doors a human-headed cow could enter easily, and even made an exceptionally sturdy bed for Bonnie’s bovine dimensions.  

She finished the cabin, and Bonnie was still learning how to transform leaves into cloth.  Tatterhood made herself busy exploring the mountain.  There were huge eagles, which Bunica has asked Tatterhood not to harm, for they were her children.  There was also a monsterous serpent, a lindworm, who Bunica had also asked Tatterhood not to harm.  She was free, though, to hunt boars and wolves and elk, though Tatterhood did so only when threatened by the beasts.  Bonnie couldn’t digest meat, and Tatterhood was but one troll, so she kept to smaller meals for herself, like foxes and bobcats.

Tatterhood also patrolled the mountain.  Sometimes a young bachelor would come riding up to hunt, and Tatterhood would scare them away with a ruse.  She’d ride Vincent where they could see her, singing at the top of her lungs about hunting and killing humans for a stew with her pack of bloodthirsty trolls.  The bachelors would turn around with haste.  

Then there were the women, the couples, and the elderly, who came up the mountain path to Bunica’s cave.  Somehow, Tatterhood knew not to deter them.  Bunica did business with them.  Tatterhood watched at least once, as she sent a couple off with instructions of what to grow and eat and what not to.  Without looking, Bunica asked, “This interests, you?”

“My origins interest me, Ma’am.”

“Why do you assume your origins are with me?”

“Call it a hunch, I guess.”

“Why do you have this interest?”

“Because I grew up as the only troll in a city of humans and merfolk.  I’m interesting to myself.”

“Your sister is as much troll as you.”

“Yes,” Tatterhood faltered, “yes, she is, isn’t she?  It’s hard for me to get used to knowing that.”

“You must learn not to categorize things by the way they look.  There are many creatures who look like something else.”

“Of course.  Thank you.”

Mostly, she was left to her own devices.  Bunica didn’t have patience for her- or Bonnie, for that matter.  There were days when Bunica simply refused to give Bonnie a lesson because “It’s in you.  Just do it.  I can’t do it for you.”

Ironic, because they were under Princess Elisa’s domain.  Tatterhood must have seeped up Bunica’s patience, because she found herself not too concerned with whether the witch would talk to her next, or how long it would take for Bonnie to regain her proper form.  

She tried to speak to the eagles, but they stayed in the air, snubbing her.  She made friends with the shepherds who lead their sheep to the foothills of the mountain.  They saw her strength, and asked her to kill the lindworm, who was terrorizing their homes.  She refused, but didn’t say why.  However, it gave Tatterhood the idea to try to befriend him.  

She found him to be not so monsterous, not in truth, but was shy, and angry, and his anger was a wall.  Still though, when she had a big kill, she would bring her lunch out to the picnic table, and put a piece of meat on the other side.  Then she would go to the edge of the woods and call to him.

“Lindworm, Lindworm, would you join me for lunch?”

Most of time no answer would come.  Tatterhood would leave the meat anyway, and come out of her cabin the next morning to find the bones picked clean.  Sometimes, she would hear only swears and insults from the wood, but still come out of her cabin in the morning to find the bones picked clean.  

When Bunica finally told her about the creature- Ruby- Tatterhood wanted even more to befriend him.  She had found on this hill someone was was the same as her- the other flower- the ugly twin but- worse.  Even being seperated from Bonnie for more than a few days put an ache in Tatterhood’s heart.  How could parents be so cruel as to force two twins to grow up separately?  She wanted to ease his heartache in one way or another.

But now that she was armed with this knowledge, the lindworm kept himself even further away.  

“I am no other flower.  I am no ugly twin.  I am not Ruby.  I am the Lindworm.  I am a killer, and you had best stay away or you’ll be devoured.”

“You are dear to me, but my story will not end with my death, so I will not allow you to eat me.  It will be your death before mine.”

“Then you will incur the wrath of the mountain mother, and suffer a fate worse than death.”

“Possibly,” Tatterhood said, unconcerned.  The truth was, she was certain he would never harm her.  He wasn’t nearly as bad as he thought he was.

Winter set in.  Bonnie had reversed her transformation and there had been much celebration.  But she had chosen to wait until spring to set out, and stay with Bunica to pick up what magical knowledge she could.  She practiced on anyone who was willing, even Tatterhood, giving her the form of a human man.  

As a man, Tatterhood slayed a large boar that was terrorizing the village below almost as much as Ruby.  He had a scar from an encounter with the lindworm- a gash from his mouth to his ear.  They celebrated the hero, declaring that he must be some kind of prince.  Tatterhood was a bit amused by this, but did not stick around.  She salted the meat and brought an offering to the edge of the woods Ruby resided in, and settled in for the winter.

On the first day of spring, the sisters said their goodbyes to Bunica, and set out on Vincent.  Tatterhood hoped to see Ruby one more time before she left, but the lindworm did not emerge to say goodbye.

Years passed.  The new editions of the Grimmoir came out but with no mention of Bonnie’s disenchantment.  Tatterhood wasn’t sure if this was because the Narrative Forces had forgotten them or because Bonnie had been disenchanted in such an uninteresting way.  Uninteresting, that is, to the Narrative Forces.  They seemed to be very interested in marriage, and revenge, and groups of three.

Tatterhood studied them in her long life.  Met those who had been made into protagonists, like her.  Wrote down their stories, circled certain words, put the tales up on a crime board and connected the themes with strings.  She copied the stories of the princesses out of the common Grimmoirs and wrote them on blue paper.  She was now 100% determined to achieve her dream.

They went all over- saw amazing things.  They even spent time in the land of the trolls.  It was a wild place, without the influence of a Storybook Princess.  In all of time, the Narrative Forces had never granted a princess to the trolls.  But it was chock full of magic.  Everything seemed to be alive there- or part of something that was.  People lived in giant trees and traveled around on dandelion spores and the wind.  

The trolls were family oriented, only their idea of a family was much broader than what Tatterhood and Bonnie were used to.  To a troll, ‘family’ were people you were fond of, regardless of blood.  The twins became the daughters of 42 trolls, the sisters of 31 others, and the cousins of 18 more.  The twins also met many merfolk and felle and even giants who were trolls- as far as they and their (adopted?)families were concerned.

Meeting the trolls, and reading the entries to how the Grimmoir treated them, Tatterhood realized that her dream was going to be difficult.  There was a reason that most protagonists in the stories were human, and that most villains weren’t, and that those who changed into humans always got their happy endings.  There were exceptions, of course.  Tatterhood befriended Puss, a felle who remained a cat throughout his tale and up to this day, and a giant-killer who refused to marry after fulfilling his task, and a witch named Baba Yaga who was celebrated as much as she was feared.

In the meantime, she assured her immortality by finding her roles in other stories.  She was aware that her mother or Bunica might die, making her story disappear, so she entangled herself.  Not always giving her name, though.  Often she was an ogre to be tricked by a protagonist, or(with the help of Bonnie’s magic), an animal who gave some sage advice when needed.  Bonnie took up the role of story starter- anonymously transforming people who greatly wanted to have a place in the Grimmoir.  She always left a way for them to break the curse that was different from the cure all- marriage- for she herself didn’t believe in marriage for that cause.

They also helped in ways that never got into the Grimmoir.  Tatterhood hunted down non-magical bounties when she hit the cities, or joined armies to take on corrupt kings while in the country.  Bonnie gave herself a cow’s head when in places that were interesting to the Forces.  Eventually their tale changed in the common Grimmoirs to state that the girl had been cursed with a cow’s head, not a cow’s body.

“It’s more convenient,” she told Tatterhood with a shrug, “at least I only have one stomach, this way.”

Bonnie had a few love affairs over the years, with people like her who had started their own tales, but didn’t want to finish them by marrying.  And they befriended many.  Tatterhood was happy with the friends, though.  The more she went on, the more she became resolute that that certain kind of love was not for her.  And she was happy.  

Half a century into their journey, they were called back to Nysgerrig because their father was sickly.  They stayed in the city for last years of his life, at his insistence.  Tatterhood was rather distraught at the idea of losing him.  She insisted he come with her on an adventure, so that he could stop his fatal aging.  But the man turned her down.  He didn’t want to be old and withered for the rest of forever- especially when next to their mother, who was still young and vibrant as the day Tatterhood had fought the trolls.

They stayed a few months after the death, but the adventuring spirit had entered Bonnie, and the twins set out again.  But by now, Tatterhood had started to give up on her dream.  Once, she would have offered unaging to any prince who would accept her hand without trying to sooth out the warts on it.  But everyone she met who wasn’t in a tale felt so young to her now.  It would be like marrying a child.

I’m happy, she said to herself, this, what I do, it makes me happy.  I can do this forever.

The twins was on the edge of troll country when she heard that the capitol city had been overtaken by a human army.  The twins of course knew a lot about humans and their tricks, so they decided to go.  The humans had discovered that they could use iron to poison the city and give the trolls sun sickness.  Those with sun sickness turned to stone when under the sun.  The warriors were too scared to leave their houses and defend the streets during the day, and in the night, the humans disappeared.  

They continued this tactic until the city was cowed into submission, and now the humans were treating trolls like servants or toys.  Tatterhood was less than enthusiastic when she and Bonnie arrived.  Bonnie was riding an old canterous mare and wearing a cow’s head, so the humans saw them both as enemies.  They dumped iron-heavy water on top of them.  The half-human girls, though, were immune to sun sickness and fought the army with might and magic.

Tatterhood killed, and was glad to.  She sent the slavers away with a message that the trolls could not be defeated so easily.  The trolls celebrated their heroes, and the twins stayed in the city for several weeks.  They met the royal princes- a troll and a human changeling- though the twins quickly learned not to say that word out loud around him.  

Roar and Reidar’s family were in themselves storied- the villains who had been tricked by a couple of clever felle.  Honestly, the incident was so unremarkable to them that they didn’t realize they were in a tale until they couldn’t shave their beards and someone brought them a copy of the Grimmoir.  They were bemused by the whole business, and used their unwanted long lives to help the more mortally inclined people of Ugress.

Tatterhood and Bonnie stayed to help as much as they could.  The troll population of Ugress, which was still the majority, still had sun sickness.  Tatterhood called on the healers she’d met.  She even fetched Bunica the mountain mother, but not even she could offer up a cure for the poor trolls.  Best she could offer were enchanted hats that kept the sun from freezing them, so long as they didn’t get knocked off.  The trolls who had already been turned to stone were dead.  They were placed in the graveyard- their own tombstones.  

It was a while, and Bonnie and Prince Roar spent more and more time together.  Tatterhood thought it at first one of her flings.  The twins still went on adventures, but returned often to the town of Ugress at Bonnie’s insistence.  

Tatterhood spent time with Reidar, and greatly enjoyed his company.  Like Tatterhood, Reidar was the unmagical sibling- being just a human among trolls.  Also like Tatterhood, he enjoyed brawls and hunting.  Nor did he have any interest in romance.  The only thing they disagreed about was fashion, honestly.  Reidar liked to dress up in the finest robes, and Tatterhood still liked her tattered cloaks.

When Bonnie announced she would marry Roar, Tatterhood was surprised.  Ten years had passed but, then again, it had only been ten.  Bonnie was sure though, and so was Roar.  They had plans to move to one of the princes’ vacation homes- a great house carved into a sequoia tree in Slekta.  The surrounding forest trees were so tall and so dense and so leafy that he would never have to worry about his sun sickness.

Preparations were made for the marriage, which would take place in Ugress.  Tatterhood and Reidar had so much fun getting everything ready.  It occured to Tatterhood, though, that once Bonnie married Prince Roar, she would be a princess.  Once Tatterhood’s dream and- honestly, for a moment, it felt bitter in her mouth to know of Bonnie achieving it.  But Tatterhood wouldn’t stand for that.  She chose instead to be happy that her twin and lifelong friend was marrying someone she was deeply in love with.

Still though- Tatterhood started to see an opportunity.  She and Reidar were friends.  They spend hours together in the same house, and comfortably.  When she asked him, “Would you like to get married?”  She asked it sort of as a joke.

But to her horror and thrill, he considered it.

“If I did marry you, I’d have more excuses to visit Roar.  It makes me sad that he’s leaving, but I don’t want to make Bonnie jealous by visiting a lot.”

“Reidar!  You disappoint me.  You know Bonnie isn’t the possessive type.  Her love only multiplies, never divides.”

“Know, this is true, this is true.  Ah, well, I guess I have no excuse, then,” he shrugged, “I like you, Tatters.  I don’t know if this the proper kind of love to do so but- who cares?  I enjoy your company.  You’re one of my best friends.  Yes, I would like to marry.”

“So then- that’s a yes?”

“A yes- yes, it’s a yes!  Tatterhood, I can’t wait to see you as princess.”

“Not just a princess,” Tatterhood’s tusks vibrated from her joy, “a Storybook Princess!”

It was a race to the altar.

No, really, it was.  Everyone rode their chosen steed.  Bonnie had a black stallion.  Roar rode his rhinoceros.  Reidar had a trollian albatross, and Tatterhood, of course, was riding Vincent.  Bonnie and Roar’s mounts and Tatterhood and Reidar’s mounts were tied together by lengths of rope that gave them each six feet to maneuver around one another.  

It wasn’t a tradition or anything.  They just thought it would be fun.

The first leg of the race was through a wooded evergreen forest under the moonlight. Team Blomst, Bonnie and Roar, were in front, so Team Ugress put on a burst of speed to overtake them.  Suddenly Reidar cried out.

“Tatterhood!  Your hood!”

“What about it?”

“It’s not a hood, it’s a lovely flowing gown!”

Tatterhood looked down to see that, indeed, he was telling the truth.  She was wearing a lovely gown made of all color silks, with rose petals sewn into it.  The gown spilled over into Vincent’s horns and made him lose his cadence, which slowed them all down.  Team Blomst pulled ahead.

“Damnit Bonnie,” Tatterhood muttered, but pushed her silk to the side and kept going.  The next leg of the race was over two swinging rope bridges over a thundering waterfall.  Team Ugress saw Team Blomst ahead and pushed again, getting a lead on them.

“Tatterhood!  Your goat!”  Reider cried.

“What about him?”

“He’s not a goat, he’s a fine stallion!”

Tatterhood looked down, but didn’t need to tell something was wrong.  Vincent was in a tizzy- rearing and trying to bray, but only whinnying instead.  He was a lovely racing horse with a freshly shampooed mane.  Each of his cloven hooves had fused into a single hard toe, and he kept throwing all this hooves to try to get them free of the new enamel.  He caused such a fuss the bridge they were on turned over, and Tatterhood had to comfort him while they were hanging upside down.  

She did get him under control, and spurred him into motion.  She was furious, now.  She was going to win this race no matter what.  Vincent, with Tatterhood on him, leaped onto the albatross’s back.  It flew in the sky, over the track, catching up with Team Blomst.  Vincent leaped down just in front of the other horse, and the albatross resumed flying just behind him.

“Hey!  Flying is cheating!”  Bonnie said, “We established that!”

“So is magic!”  Tatterhood pointed out, and swung her spoon into the horse’s face.  She was going to knock it out.  If Bonnie wanted to play dirty, Tatterhood could, too.  It brushed off harmlessly, however, because it had been transformed.

“Tatterhood!  Your wooden spoon!”  Reidar cried.

“Yes, Reidar, I know,” Tatterhood was holding the paper fan in her hand presently.

“It’s not a wooden spoon, it’s a paper fan!”

“I know.”

“Oh, you know.”

“Yeah,” she pocketed the fan.  Again, Team Blomst had edged in front of them.

There was one final stretch- through a field of wasp nests.  The nests were of the ground variety, and the grass was tall, and no one could no for sure where the nests were.  Tatterhood, with her paper fan, her gown, and her lovely horse, turned to her human fiance.  “Shall we?”

Reidar burst out with laughter.  Long, hard peels.  Tatterhood, annoyed, fanned herself.

“I’m sorry, Tatters, but you just look so ridiculous in all that stuff.”

“I know,” Tatterhood said, ripping the bottom part off her dress, “let’s get some good old revenge.”

So they made for one last go to catch with Team Blomst.  This time, Tatterhood got neck and neck with Bonnie, who said, “Tatterhood!  Your face!”

“What about it?”

“It’s not your face, it’s the face of some lovely human maiden.”

Tatterhood didn’t have to look.  She wiggled her nose to find it was small, and felt her teeth in her mouth- all the same side.  Her hands were small, and uncalloused.  Tatterhood laughed.

“Nice one, Bonnie.  Now turn me back.  I will not marry while looking like this.”

“Fair enough- but do something for me first.  Cut your fiance loose, and tie your animal to mine.”

It was a deal.  Tatterhood was ruthless, cutting the rope with her wooden spoon which had once again been transformed.  The sudden loss of tension made the albatross lose its balance in the air, and like a kite it went tumbling back with Reidar still on him.  At the same time, Bonnie cut her line between herself and Roar.  His mount saw the loose rope and tried to catch it in it’s mouth, only it was connected to it, so it couldn’t quite reach and the rhinoceros ran circles.

Tatterhood and Vincent’s enchantments melted off them like sugar under water.  The twins mounts thundered through the field, waking several wasps nests.  

Tatterhood and Bonnie tagged the minister at the same instance.  “I guess you have to marry us both at once!”  Bonnie said, breathing heavily.  Seconds later, the brother princes came running out of the field, laughing, covered in mud, and chased by wasps.

The tower just, appeared, at the edge of fort Ugress- a tower of packed mud and briars and pine supports, like the rest of the fort.  It looked like it belonged, certainly- but it was also the highest point of the structure.

The king, the queen, the two princes and the two new Storybook Princesses made their way up the tower.  The construction inside was wood grown into steps instead of cut, as if made by troll hands and magic.  A spiral staircase traveled all the way up to a door, and behind the door- plain room, with windows facing due north, due east, due south and due west.

And of course, the door.

Roar put his large hands on Bonnie’s shoulders, then let them go with a double pat, “Well, darling, there it is.  Your door.”

Reidar cleared his throat, “Actually, brother, this is Tatterhood’s door.  Ugress is to be her home, after all.”

“Goodness, you’re right,” Roar said.  

Bonnie took Tatterhood’s hand, “Are you excited?”

“Excited?  I’ve been waiting for this forever,” she put her hand on the door.  There was a sort of warmth as touched the handle- not unlike the warmth of being newly Princessed.  It was different from the warmth of unaging- a little hotter and more intense.  

Suddenly, Tatterhood wasn’t sure she wanted to open the door.

“I’m scared,” she said in a small voice.

Two troll brothers were on either side of her.

“I’ll go in before you,” Reidar said, and put his hand on the knob.  For his trouble, he was zapped and knocked across the room.

Roar got him up, saying, “Maybe you should open it for us, Tatters.”

Tatterhood nodded, put her hand on the knob again, but shook her head.  “No, this isn’t right.”

The brothers looked at one another.

“I know I can invite someone else through.  But this place- this is a place for princesses.  So, only princesses should come through, this time.”  She took Bonnie’s hand, “Will you?  You’ve been with me for almost a century.  Will you step over the threshold with me?”

“Oh Tatters, of course,” she turned to the troll family, “hold the fort while we’re gone,” and then she giggled.

[m1kemedeiros]

JAPAN- May, 21st, 2017 Let me just start with what I'd consider a highlight of Japan, something I need to get out of the way...TOILETS. The toilets were a definite highlight of the trip for me and no other toilet will ever compare. In fact in these two years of toilet hopping I could probably write a small novel about global shitters I've experienced. Now these white, porcelain oases come with a menu of controls located on the right hand side. They heat the seat, play rainforest music to muffle the sounds of your bodily functions and some even disperse a clean airy scent when you finish. Did I mention there's a series of jets, spray nozzles that clean your ass and they're so accurate, like a sniper. I'd sometimes go to the bathroom even if I didn't have to go. After 5 months of planning and saving I'm now waiting at Cairns international airport about to embark on yet another Asian adventure. Located on an island off of the eastern coast of mainland Asia is Japan where I'll be travelling across country with my partner in crime. Over the top fashion, over crowded streets, overly welcoming locals and exquisite food, Japan is at the top of the bucket list for myself and most people. After exiting the plane at Narita Airport we immediately were thrown into the rushing crowds of Japan. Train systems seem to be the main type of transportation in Japan and we booked quite a few. After hopping two trains we arrived to Kanda where we spent one night at an all male capsule hostel. A capsule is a tiny slot in a wall equipped with bedding, tv, radio and charging outlets all put into this 6x3 foot capsule. We only spent one night here in financial district, where like most financial districts, things close early. From morning to night all you see are a few restaurants and bars filled with your regular 9-5'ers in black and white suits. I must say the Japanese are very neat and tidy. Trains, restaurants, parks and accommodation everything is clean, sanitized and disinfected. You take your shoes off before entering certain public establishments and you bath before you bath. By this I mean the following morning we had to strip down, enter a public shower room where you sit down in front of a mirror naked and shower yourself down before entering an 8 man bathtub. Do what you gotta do! We had an early morning of signs in Japanese pointing us in every direction but we made it to Tokyo Central Station. After sorting out our tickets and fighting the rat race I'm now seated on the bullet train to Osaka, Japan. Flying at a speed of 350kph the bullet train is the quickest train in the world taking us from Tokyo to Osaka in just 3 hours. Looking out the window are mountains, rice fields and cities rushing past the window at high speed. It's amazing being able to zip across a country at such a speed and in such short time. Finally OSAKA! So far Japan has been a whirlwind experience of train hopping, getting lost, waiting in cues and loads of walking. Dropping our bags off in downtown Osaka we immediately took transit to one of Japan's largest aquariums. Located next to an enormous ferris wheel over looking Osaka is the aquarium. Otters, penguins, dolphins, manta rays, whale sharks and seals were just a few of the mass variety of sea life this aquarium contains. That evening we ventured through downtown Osaka night markets which is an amazing maze of alleyways and streets completely action packed. The markets eventually led to Dotonbori River which is a popular area packed with crowds of people, neon lights, food stands next to food stands, casino games, arcade games and clubs. The next morning we found our way to Universal Studios (Japan) and even though I've been to the Universal in Orlando (Florida) this was much different. The staff were just so much EXTRA, by this I mean enthusiasm, phenomenal service and so FREAKING HAPPY! That's just the park staff, the visitors to the park even dressed up too. Families and locals arrived in groups wearing matching outfits dressed as Snoopy, Cookie Monster and most of all Minions. After a wild, sunburnt day of riding the jurassic park ride, jaws and many more we spent the evening walking in circles... not by choice. After walking Universal all day, we walked all night in search of Dotonbori River for food but got lost yet again. The silver-lining was we got to see a larger part of Osaka and burnt some calories off at the same time. Day 3, we took the JR line to Kyoto and made a visit to two of the most popular shrines in Japan called, Fushimi Inari-taisha and Todai-Ji. Fushimi Inari-taisha was amazing! Following hundreds of bright Orange gates, we climbed 12,000 steps, 4 kilometres up a mountain, past a total of 16 shrines to the main shrine. Each shrine you can find statues of the fox with a key in its mouth. The fox symbolizes the messenger or gate keeper, known as Inari. I prayed for health and happiness at the top of the mountain at the main shrine before heading back down. We later travelled further into the city Nara to a temple called, Todai-ji. This is the second largest wooden structure in Japan built in the early 8th century. We took our shoes off, entered the hall and took time to just appreciate all the architecture and design that went into this amazing wooden structure. After a fulfilling day we went back to Osaka for our final night. We met a few travellers from around the world, had some drinks and made gyoza (fried pork dumplings) at our hostel. Andy had an early night but I went out with this group of randoms to a small underground karaoke bar. Singing my heart out on top of the bar at 4am I felt like I was a temporary karaoke legend, a star in Japan as a result of heavily poured cocktails. Kind of an oxymoron wishing for health on sacred ground and later drinking cocktails at a karaoke bar. LIFE! 🙈. The next morning was a bit of a slow start but we managed to catch the bullet train from Osaka to our next destination. With a population of 13 million people, Tokyo was where we spent the next few days. Tokyo is made up of many districts and we chose to stay in the middle of all the commotion. Shibuya (entertainment district) is one hectic place, Shibuya is known for the Shibuya Crossing the busiest intersection in the world. Each street corner piles up with heaps of people, then when the little red man turns green an all-way-cross begins and a sea of black haired Japanese people walk in every direction. It was cool just standing in the centre of the crossing and feeling like a stone in a rushing river. We booked an Airbnb 500 meters from this intersection because the areas surrounding is action packed with clubs, food and endless shopping..... ENDLESS. Each district in Tokyo is practically a city of its own and we spent the next day walking around Harajuku (fashion district). We walked the main shopping strip, Takeshita Street, where you can find younger apparel that's pretty avant-garde. Wigs, eyelashes, glittery boots, contacts, leather outfits, tutus and more, the fashion is over the top and never ending. On this street Andy and I went for coffee at a very cool café. Downstairs we got to hang out with a variety of owls at the owl café and upstairs we got to play with bengal cats as we enjoyed our coffees. From there we strolled down the wide, intersecting pathways lined with very tall, lush green trees at the famous Yoyogi park. Later that evening we strolled through Akihabara also know as electric town, located just a few station stops from Shibuya. The strip is lite up with so many lights that it's a must-see at night to really take in the visual experience and appeal to this district of Japan. 8 story Sega buildings full of video games, gizmos and gadget stores, huge Apple stores and anything electronic you could ever imagine is found in this part of Tokyo. After spending the morning roaming the chaotic streets of Shibuya we later spent the evening in the gay district of Japan. Shinjuku is another awesome district of Japan and the gay friendly area was a fun night out hosted by our local friend Ryoko. Andy got picked up twice, I started to feel like chop liver. One gay guy said, "he'd pick him out of the two of us" and another commented on his shirt. The little green monster in me peered at him and said, "It's from H&M, no big deal!" After a night of dancing and Andy swinging from stripper poles the following day Ryoko took us out of Tokyo to Yokohama. In Yokohama we ventured through the very funky China town in Japan. Later we stumbled onto dragon boat races near a marina and a garden festival. I've never seen such an enormous rose garden before amongst the many other floral species. It was a beautiful day. Yokohama has such a nice vibe and balance between nature and city that the following day we returned. We went to Tokyo Metropolitan Towers where you'll find breathtaking views and on a clear day you can even spot Mount Fuji. We spent our last night hanging out in Shibuya before heading home. On our last day we took the train to Ueno zoo which is an extremely affordable zoo that inhabits the widest variety of animals compared to any other zoo in Japan. We took the Skyliner back to Narita airport and had one last experience on the toilet before heading home. We really only grazed the surface of Japan and I'll be sure to head back and explore a little further. Definitely the type of vacation that needs to be somewhat organized prior but it's a destination that's up there in my books. Overwhelming and Unforgettable! ✌🏼️