This is a $25 commission and criminally late, but I just started work this week, and I'm still getting used to it.
*~*~*~*~*
The world ended in May. Well, that wasn't completely accurate. There were still people, the world still existed, so it was much more accurate to say that western civilization ended in May. For three days, people kept trying to go to work and school, kept trying to live their life as if the world hadn't changed. After a week, the looting began, everyone stealing everything from local stores, even stuff they couldn't used anymore, like computers and televisions.
Then came the parties. For weeks, every corner smelled like food cooking, over gas generators and handmade fires, barbecue grills, anything anyone could cook anything on, they did. Everyone ate and drank, shared, fucked, fought, and while there were a few people advocating restraint, everyone agreed that cooked meat would probably keep better than raw meat, that unrefrigerated fruits and vegetables would go bad if they weren't eaten or somehow preserved in jams, pickled, that sort of thing.
People who knew how to do that sort of thing stepped forth to offer their services, taught anyone who wanted to learn. People who knew how to make jerky, they did the same. People who could hunt scoured the nearby bastions of wilderness for more food, because eventually the bounty of the mall would wear out.
After two months, people began to run out of prescription medicines. Many were violently ill, became depressed or suicidal or violent. Others were re-exposed to pain that medicine had been protecting them from, sometimes after years of not feeling it, and some people just got annoying. Some survived, others didn't. The deaths sobered everyone, as people realized that civilization as they knew it was really over. They had to make a new one.
Adeidra was blessed to find herself turned to as one of the leaders. She was wheelchair-bound, and some clever bastard had attached solar panels to her chair to charge the battery, as well as rigging it so that it charged itself a bit as it moved. The young woman had sheepishly confessed to Adeidra that it had taken a lot of tries to get it right.
Adeidra was shocked how much people came together, how the boys came together to run interference on that one kid who was off his medicine and kept muttering at the girls about re-population, how teens and people with adult children watched the babies, to give the parents time to breathe, sleep, mourn, whatever they needed to do.
Yeah, there were the kids who went off into abandoned movie theaters to fuck, the adults too, and people who menaced others with weaponry, guns and knives, over stale popcorn and old ramen, people who tried to turn everything into a competition it didn't need to be, but everyone just left those people to their own devices. They'd figure it out or they wouldn't, but either way, they didn't need those people.
She'd feared it would turn out like every zombie movie, her twin daughters making nervous Walking Dead jokes, but people came together. Humans were social animals, and there were many lonely people who just didn't want to be alone, everyone gathering at churches, school gymnasiums, the middle of picked-clean stores, anywhere there was space to be, to talk, bond, learn. Everyone had a theory about what had happened, where they were all going from there, but noone knew. Not really.
But it was getting cold. Adeidra had Roshona and Samantha prepare to leave. They wouldn't be able to manage in a Chicago winter. They were city women, born and bred, and it was just easier to travel south, where it would be warmer and there would be more plants and animals to find and hunt. Adeidra wasn't the only one, and she'd actually gotten the idea from other women. She hadn't been difficult to convince. Most people weren't.
They got news from the south. South Carolina, to be precise. They were doing things down there. California, too, and Florida and Texas. Most of the southern states with access to water were doing things, people were gathering and making civilization. People thrived and worked. Noone wanted to suffer and die.
There were something like a thousand people left where Adeidra and her girls were, most of the others having fled to other states, other family and friends earlier in the year. And the ones who died. But Adeidra tried not to think of those ones so hard. Everyone began packing up, doing what they could, and soon everyone was ready to migrate. They lost people as they went, some people choosing to go to Florida, California, Texas, for pretty much the same reason Adeidra pointed her family at South Carolina. They had family there.
They also gained people as they traveled, also migrating south for the winter, or because they'd heard there was civilization, or simply because a huge group of people was passing through, and they didn't want to be left alone.
Adeidra had no idea how many of the group from Chicago made it to South Carolina, but she and her girls made it, along with Rudy, their dog, worth his weight in food for being able to brighten their moods, even if he wasn't precisely the best guard dog in the world. They had just crossed the North Carolina-South Carolina, camped for the night, when a young woman, about Roshona and Samantha's age, began moving through the group, pushing a grocery cart full of leaves wrapped in red ribbon.
Adeidra had no idea what the gal was doing, but she kept showing people her wrist. As she came closer, it became clear she had a watch. It hadn't even been a year since civilization ended, of course watches would still work. When she reached the Jenkins family, she passed out small sprigs of what smelled like mint, wrapped in red ribbon. Mint was so nice, it tasted good, and it made water taste cooler.
Then she wished the quartet a Merry Christmas, to their mutual bemusement. A quick check of the woman's watch revealed that yes, it was December 24. Christmas Eve, but still. It was startling, thinking of life only a year before. But she had her daughters, who were alive and well enough, and a shining future ahead of them. She couldn't complain.
Showing posts with label black women. Show all posts
Showing posts with label black women. Show all posts
Saturday, November 8, 2014
Friday, October 24, 2014
Champion 2
Previous Chapter
*~*~*~*
Maya swung her arm hard, catching her opponent in the chest and throwing the girl flat on her back, the dull thunk of her helmet hitting the hard-packed dirt floor barely audible over the clatter of weaponry against armor, the shouts and cries of battle and pain that always filled the training grounds this time of day. That was the third time today, and it wasn't yet midday.
"Leticia! What have I told you?"
Leticia slowly levered herself into a sitting position, her voice strained as she dutifully recited, "Watch both arms, pay attention, do not underestimate your opponent." Leticia paused to wheeze for breath, then got to her feet before miserably adding, "But the air is so thick, I'm having trouble breathing!"
"You think it won't be this thick in battle? This is what Hileans are good at, what they excel at--they summon so much energy that anyone but them chokes on it. You will be a follower of Jettas, if you finish your training! You will be at the head, the front of the battle, and it will be thicker and deeper than this, do you hear me, Leticia?"
"Yes, ma'am."
Maya could see the way Leticia's mouth twisted under her helmet, though not the bulk of her face, and she understood the girl's ire, remembered her own teacher yelling the same things at her while she wore the same expression, but that did not make it any less true.
Disciples of the High Lady, Hileans, had access to a great deal more magic than disciples of any of the four sisters, and almost more than disciples of the Low Lady, Loliens, and while there was much Hileans could not do with their powers, overwhelming others was something they could do.
Unfortunately for Maya, Leticia was right. The air was very thick, and she knew why. The Royal Hiliens were preparing for some ritual, had been for days, and midday was a very auspicious time for the spell to begin. The disciples-in-training were all sluggish from the heaviness of the air, though they gamely attempted to continue.
Maya sheathed her sword and gave Leticia's shoulder a rough clap, "Round up the little ones, and get them some water." Leticia ducked her head and ran off, while Maya raised her voice to be heard above the din, "Everyone stop what you're doing! Cheryl, I mean you, too!"
Cheryl lifted her helmet to give Maya a cheeky grin, and didn't even have the good grace to wilt in defeat when Maya glared at her. Maya shook her head at Cheryl and took off her helmet, tipping her head back as ropes of vividly blue hair fell into her face. Stupid long hair. She used her helmet to gesture the other women closer, and they followed Maya's example, removing their own helmets, and trying to avoid creaking or clanking too much as they moved.
"Alright, as I'm sure you all have noticed, the royal Hileans are doing some ritual, and I'm sure a few of you have even heard rumors of what it's supposed to do." A few women nodded, some looked sheepish or giggled to each other before being hastily shushed by their comrades as Maya continued. "I was going to keep you all going until the spell's climax, but even I have to confess there is a lot of energy in the air, and for the most part, you all have been doing well. So you've got the afternoon off."
That prompted an immediate cheer, a rolling rumble of chit-chatty voices, and Maya waited for the excitement to die down before she continued, "I won't say that you must go to the ritual, but I will say that I strongly advise it. Though the magic makes it difficult to breathe, it is actually quite beneficial, and additionally, there is power and value in knowing how those of other faiths perform their spells, understand?"
There was a generalized mumble of assent, and Maya sent everyone off with another wave of her helmet. Once she was sure Leticia had the younger girls hydrated, she followed the other recruits to the armory, discarding her armor and weaponry in a small bubble of relative silence. She pretended to not notice.
As a disciple of Jettas, Maya held a heavy burden. Jettas was the lady of death, of course, and justice as well, so Maya was authorized to kill, as necessary, and an arbiter of justice. But more importantly, Jettas was the lady of truth, honesty. As her disciple, not only was Maya forbidden from lying, she was obligated to confront any lie she heard, even one said in jest. She was allowed leeway for confrontation, as her own conscience allowed. But Maya's conscience only allowed her to know three lies before she was forced to confront the liars, or confess her reasoning for not confronting them to Jettas, and risk losing her status as a disciple.
Maya finished changing out of her armor and looped her sword belt over her shoulder, then took her bubble of silence out of the armory and into the palace halls. The funny thing about lying, Maya reflected, was that a person had to know they were doing it to get caught out. If someone knew they were lying, it polluted their auras in ways only disciples of Jettas could see. Being wrong wasn't the same, and that was what tripped people up around her.
Maya carried her bubble of silence into the medical wing. She certainly intended to attend the Hilean ceremony, but first, she had to find her housemate. Lillian was her housemate and best friend, and had been for many years. As a follower of Clio, Lillian should have been amongst those tending secular and religious magical accidents, and certain non-magical accidents as well. "Should have been" being the operative words.
Maya made a quick search of the medical wing, carefully avoiding masked disciples of Clio, because if they were sick, it was something that Maya very definitely didn't want to catch. Unfortunately, there was no sign of Lillian, and the patients were beginning to get antsy and anxious from Maya's presence. Maya moved into the medical lab, which was off the medical wing, in hopes of finding Lillian there.
When Maya entered the medical lab, she found a young disciple mixing a beaker of something purple and something green. At the sight of Maya, she fumbled the beaker of muddy liquid that was the result, before dropping it on the floor, swearing as it shattered. Everything the liquid touched began to grow flowers, including the disciple's hand. Maya decided to end her search of the lab there and beat a hasty retreat.
Fortunately, she was able to find the head disciple, Denice, who was instructing a disciple-in-training over a wriggling patient's rash, "Uh...Denice?"
"What broke in the lab?"
"Just a beaker, but it's growing flowers."
Denice heaved a sigh and sent off the young woman she was speaking with, "Probably Shannon again. Lilly said she thought there was an abnormal number of religious accidents, and last I heard, she was headed to the library."
Maya gave a sheepish laugh, embarrassed to be so transparent that Denice didn't even bother to ask her purpose. Well, it wasn't like Maya was hurt very often, even as a trainer of recruits, and the only people who ever had any business in a medical lab were disciples of Clio, and the occasional disciple of Yorn, so it made sense that Maya would be searching for Lillian, whose skills were best displayed in the lab.
"Thank you, Denice. Do you think Shannon will be able to recover from that spell?"
"Based on what I saw her doing, she should be able to. It might require a bit of secular magic, but I've been telling her that spell's not going to work the way she wants it to for a month, and she has persisted, regardless. It was bound to happen, eventually." Maya nodded and made to head off, but was stopped by Denice, "Are you taking Lilly to the ritual?"
"I was planning to."
"Well, tell her I said to take notes for the rest of us."
Maya could almost hear Lillian's frustrated groan. Though Denice's directive meant that Lillian was free to go, disciple's of Clio tended the injured and ill, which meant they always needed to know exactly what looked like what, what smelled like what, and Maya had seen three-page reports written on a bruise. The ritual would surely fill a book, but she couldn't help but grin, appreciatively ducking her head, "Thank you, Denice."
Denice made a shooing gesture before heading towards the lab, while Maya left the medical wing to head for the royal library, where Lillian was bound to be. It was her favorite place to be, anyway, after the medical lab. She really should have been one of Yorn's disciples, but she had her reasons for choosing Clio.
*~*~*~*
Next Chapter
*~*~*~*
Maya swung her arm hard, catching her opponent in the chest and throwing the girl flat on her back, the dull thunk of her helmet hitting the hard-packed dirt floor barely audible over the clatter of weaponry against armor, the shouts and cries of battle and pain that always filled the training grounds this time of day. That was the third time today, and it wasn't yet midday.
"Leticia! What have I told you?"
Leticia slowly levered herself into a sitting position, her voice strained as she dutifully recited, "Watch both arms, pay attention, do not underestimate your opponent." Leticia paused to wheeze for breath, then got to her feet before miserably adding, "But the air is so thick, I'm having trouble breathing!"
"You think it won't be this thick in battle? This is what Hileans are good at, what they excel at--they summon so much energy that anyone but them chokes on it. You will be a follower of Jettas, if you finish your training! You will be at the head, the front of the battle, and it will be thicker and deeper than this, do you hear me, Leticia?"
"Yes, ma'am."
Maya could see the way Leticia's mouth twisted under her helmet, though not the bulk of her face, and she understood the girl's ire, remembered her own teacher yelling the same things at her while she wore the same expression, but that did not make it any less true.
Disciples of the High Lady, Hileans, had access to a great deal more magic than disciples of any of the four sisters, and almost more than disciples of the Low Lady, Loliens, and while there was much Hileans could not do with their powers, overwhelming others was something they could do.
Unfortunately for Maya, Leticia was right. The air was very thick, and she knew why. The Royal Hiliens were preparing for some ritual, had been for days, and midday was a very auspicious time for the spell to begin. The disciples-in-training were all sluggish from the heaviness of the air, though they gamely attempted to continue.
Maya sheathed her sword and gave Leticia's shoulder a rough clap, "Round up the little ones, and get them some water." Leticia ducked her head and ran off, while Maya raised her voice to be heard above the din, "Everyone stop what you're doing! Cheryl, I mean you, too!"
Cheryl lifted her helmet to give Maya a cheeky grin, and didn't even have the good grace to wilt in defeat when Maya glared at her. Maya shook her head at Cheryl and took off her helmet, tipping her head back as ropes of vividly blue hair fell into her face. Stupid long hair. She used her helmet to gesture the other women closer, and they followed Maya's example, removing their own helmets, and trying to avoid creaking or clanking too much as they moved.
"Alright, as I'm sure you all have noticed, the royal Hileans are doing some ritual, and I'm sure a few of you have even heard rumors of what it's supposed to do." A few women nodded, some looked sheepish or giggled to each other before being hastily shushed by their comrades as Maya continued. "I was going to keep you all going until the spell's climax, but even I have to confess there is a lot of energy in the air, and for the most part, you all have been doing well. So you've got the afternoon off."
That prompted an immediate cheer, a rolling rumble of chit-chatty voices, and Maya waited for the excitement to die down before she continued, "I won't say that you must go to the ritual, but I will say that I strongly advise it. Though the magic makes it difficult to breathe, it is actually quite beneficial, and additionally, there is power and value in knowing how those of other faiths perform their spells, understand?"
There was a generalized mumble of assent, and Maya sent everyone off with another wave of her helmet. Once she was sure Leticia had the younger girls hydrated, she followed the other recruits to the armory, discarding her armor and weaponry in a small bubble of relative silence. She pretended to not notice.
As a disciple of Jettas, Maya held a heavy burden. Jettas was the lady of death, of course, and justice as well, so Maya was authorized to kill, as necessary, and an arbiter of justice. But more importantly, Jettas was the lady of truth, honesty. As her disciple, not only was Maya forbidden from lying, she was obligated to confront any lie she heard, even one said in jest. She was allowed leeway for confrontation, as her own conscience allowed. But Maya's conscience only allowed her to know three lies before she was forced to confront the liars, or confess her reasoning for not confronting them to Jettas, and risk losing her status as a disciple.
Maya finished changing out of her armor and looped her sword belt over her shoulder, then took her bubble of silence out of the armory and into the palace halls. The funny thing about lying, Maya reflected, was that a person had to know they were doing it to get caught out. If someone knew they were lying, it polluted their auras in ways only disciples of Jettas could see. Being wrong wasn't the same, and that was what tripped people up around her.
Maya carried her bubble of silence into the medical wing. She certainly intended to attend the Hilean ceremony, but first, she had to find her housemate. Lillian was her housemate and best friend, and had been for many years. As a follower of Clio, Lillian should have been amongst those tending secular and religious magical accidents, and certain non-magical accidents as well. "Should have been" being the operative words.
Maya made a quick search of the medical wing, carefully avoiding masked disciples of Clio, because if they were sick, it was something that Maya very definitely didn't want to catch. Unfortunately, there was no sign of Lillian, and the patients were beginning to get antsy and anxious from Maya's presence. Maya moved into the medical lab, which was off the medical wing, in hopes of finding Lillian there.
When Maya entered the medical lab, she found a young disciple mixing a beaker of something purple and something green. At the sight of Maya, she fumbled the beaker of muddy liquid that was the result, before dropping it on the floor, swearing as it shattered. Everything the liquid touched began to grow flowers, including the disciple's hand. Maya decided to end her search of the lab there and beat a hasty retreat.
Fortunately, she was able to find the head disciple, Denice, who was instructing a disciple-in-training over a wriggling patient's rash, "Uh...Denice?"
"What broke in the lab?"
"Just a beaker, but it's growing flowers."
Denice heaved a sigh and sent off the young woman she was speaking with, "Probably Shannon again. Lilly said she thought there was an abnormal number of religious accidents, and last I heard, she was headed to the library."
Maya gave a sheepish laugh, embarrassed to be so transparent that Denice didn't even bother to ask her purpose. Well, it wasn't like Maya was hurt very often, even as a trainer of recruits, and the only people who ever had any business in a medical lab were disciples of Clio, and the occasional disciple of Yorn, so it made sense that Maya would be searching for Lillian, whose skills were best displayed in the lab.
"Thank you, Denice. Do you think Shannon will be able to recover from that spell?"
"Based on what I saw her doing, she should be able to. It might require a bit of secular magic, but I've been telling her that spell's not going to work the way she wants it to for a month, and she has persisted, regardless. It was bound to happen, eventually." Maya nodded and made to head off, but was stopped by Denice, "Are you taking Lilly to the ritual?"
"I was planning to."
"Well, tell her I said to take notes for the rest of us."
Maya could almost hear Lillian's frustrated groan. Though Denice's directive meant that Lillian was free to go, disciple's of Clio tended the injured and ill, which meant they always needed to know exactly what looked like what, what smelled like what, and Maya had seen three-page reports written on a bruise. The ritual would surely fill a book, but she couldn't help but grin, appreciatively ducking her head, "Thank you, Denice."
Denice made a shooing gesture before heading towards the lab, while Maya left the medical wing to head for the royal library, where Lillian was bound to be. It was her favorite place to be, anyway, after the medical lab. She really should have been one of Yorn's disciples, but she had her reasons for choosing Clio.
*~*~*~*
Next Chapter
Friday, October 3, 2014
Queen's Peace
Tori looked up when Daxia escorted the queen in through the door of the room the rebels had claimed as command central in their attempts to overthrow the queen and establish a new government, one that properly accommodated for all of its people.
She had expected the queen would come, because after kidnapping the king, they'd demanded the queen's presence. She hadn't expected the queen to come in full regalia, an ocean of petticoats, a crown of pearls to hold back her halo of curls, a gem-encrusted corset to make an elegant curve of her waist, while simultaneously highlighting the soft roundness of her arms, bared underneath with wisps of fabric trailing over top.
Tori and the others, Rhia, the fae, barely as tall as Tori's face, and sitting on a small chair on the table Tori was at because of it, her wings slowly fluttering, Daxia, the dwarf, shifting her heavy mithril hammer away from the queen and the rest of the party, and Elie, the elf, next to the captured, tied and gagged king, gesturing at Rhia with his legs, were all in pants and plain, simple garb, assuming the queen wouldn't take them seriously, even though they had her king in custody.
Rhia stood, her wings whirring as she began to take flight, then she stopped and dropped back to the table, her wings slowing as she folded her arms and observed the approaching human. Daxia hovered at the door, her hammer lightly thumping as she rested it on the floor, and Elie put the king's legs back on the table, well away from him, taking care not to chip the expensive porcelain. The queen had come to them as if they were foreign dignitaries, rather than treasonous subjects making noises of secession and threats of overthrowing her rule, and they were all just a bit embarrassed by this unexpected fact.
She took a long moment to look at each of their faces, even turning back for a look at Daxia, who averted her eyes and pretended to be very busy with the handle of her hammer, before dropping into a low curtsy, so far down that her hair entirely obscured her head for a moment, again surprising the gathered rebel leaders.
When she arose, her expression and demeanor were serious, her voice calm and collected, "I apologize. I have sorely neglected the Hridale Province, which is the crossroads of so many species, and unfairly under human control. I incorrectly assumed that, if I avoided interfering, Hridale would prosper. Please forgive me for my oversight and allow me to begin making amends."
So this was the queen who negotiated alone with hungry dragons and came out the better for it. Tori could suddenly see why. The queen radiated sincerity and earnestness, her voice calm enough to not make a fuss, but passionate enough to convey deep emotion. Tori was no match for her, she already knew.
Elie, however, apparently had no such compunctions, because she brandished the king's legs at the queen, causing them to rattle threateningly as she used them to punctuate her points, "Why should we? For years, not months or weeks or days, years, you have left us, abandoned us, failed to protect us, failed to protect our rights, and turned a blind eye to our trials and suffering! We want absolutely no more to do with you!"
Daxia gave Elie an anxious look, "It....Elie, it doesn't have to be like tha--"
"But it should be!"
"I agree," murmured Rhia, her voice quietly resonant. Elie smugly subsided, to await Rhia's next words, and Daxia turned her anxious stare to Rhia. Tori remained silent. As a human in Hridale Province, she'd been the recipient of very little discrimination, though as an innkeeper, she'd seen plenty of it. She was here because she wanted to help her friends, but it was not her place to say what they needed.
Rhia remained on the table, forcing the queen to come down to her level, rather than flying up to the queen's level, her voice just as cool and sincere, "As you yourself said, we have been sorely neglected, but not just in Hridale, all throughout Coris, and you, in your unwillingness to make changes that would help us, are directly to blame. We want a government with no monarchy, and equal representation of all species in Coris, including fae, including elves, including dwarves, humans, trolls, giants, all of us. We have an action plan, ready to implement, and we will hold your king until you implement the first step of it."
"Surely," countered the queen, "You can appreciate why I might wish for my king back and how difficult it is to enact any such policy change over the whole of the kingdom."
"I do, but you have no choice. Tori, if you would?"
The plan was sized for humans, elves, and dwarves, as Rhia had decided that since she was giving it to a human, it needed to be that large. Unfortunately, this meant that Rhia could not physically lift it, as it was almost as big as her, so Tori picked up the documents, and stood, handing them to the queen, who began to look through them, her expression remaining static as she did so.
"You may take your time with those, look them over carefully. Daxia?"
Daxia hefted her hammer again and moved to the queen's side, careful not to touch the queen's superlative garb, and trying to look smaller than head and shoulder's shorter than the queen, "I-If you could...?" The queen looked frustrated for a brief moment, but she schooled her face before allowing herself to be led out.
"Do you think she'll really do it?" asked Elie, poking at the magical sensors in the king's legs, making them twitch and move.
"Stop that," scolded Rhia. She'd already been uncomfortable about taking the king's legs as is, but Elie and Daxia only had his spare pair, the ones he was currently wearing weighted with magic-killing iron. "And no, I don't think she will. You know humans."
Tori felt a familiar stab, but she brushed it off. She knew that Rhia wasn't speaking of her specifically, but it still hurt, still ached, to hear that sort of thing, and to know she could do no more to make it so that Rhia wouldn't have reason to say it. She held her silence as Elie shrugged, "Yeah, but we DO have her king. He's got to be worth something to her. She came in full regalia."
"Intimidation tactic," replied Rhia, her voice decisive as she went back to her seat, "To remind us just how much power she has, and how much we don't."
Daxia came in just as Rhia said that, and she mumbled, "I...I think she was just...trying to give us full respect, you know?"
"I'm with Rhia," said Elie, pointing at the fae in question, "She was just trying to intimidate us into backing down."
"Well, I'm definitely intimidated," said Tori, with a light laugh, "It's amazing she could even reach the door in all of that."
Daxia grinned, "She couldn't."
Tori glanced at the king, who seemed to have resigned himself to his fate, while he watched the four women talk and interact. He noticed her watching him watching the rest of them, and he shrugged. Tori felt for him, but justice had to be done. For all the species humans oppressed.
She had expected the queen would come, because after kidnapping the king, they'd demanded the queen's presence. She hadn't expected the queen to come in full regalia, an ocean of petticoats, a crown of pearls to hold back her halo of curls, a gem-encrusted corset to make an elegant curve of her waist, while simultaneously highlighting the soft roundness of her arms, bared underneath with wisps of fabric trailing over top.
Tori and the others, Rhia, the fae, barely as tall as Tori's face, and sitting on a small chair on the table Tori was at because of it, her wings slowly fluttering, Daxia, the dwarf, shifting her heavy mithril hammer away from the queen and the rest of the party, and Elie, the elf, next to the captured, tied and gagged king, gesturing at Rhia with his legs, were all in pants and plain, simple garb, assuming the queen wouldn't take them seriously, even though they had her king in custody.
Rhia stood, her wings whirring as she began to take flight, then she stopped and dropped back to the table, her wings slowing as she folded her arms and observed the approaching human. Daxia hovered at the door, her hammer lightly thumping as she rested it on the floor, and Elie put the king's legs back on the table, well away from him, taking care not to chip the expensive porcelain. The queen had come to them as if they were foreign dignitaries, rather than treasonous subjects making noises of secession and threats of overthrowing her rule, and they were all just a bit embarrassed by this unexpected fact.
She took a long moment to look at each of their faces, even turning back for a look at Daxia, who averted her eyes and pretended to be very busy with the handle of her hammer, before dropping into a low curtsy, so far down that her hair entirely obscured her head for a moment, again surprising the gathered rebel leaders.
When she arose, her expression and demeanor were serious, her voice calm and collected, "I apologize. I have sorely neglected the Hridale Province, which is the crossroads of so many species, and unfairly under human control. I incorrectly assumed that, if I avoided interfering, Hridale would prosper. Please forgive me for my oversight and allow me to begin making amends."
So this was the queen who negotiated alone with hungry dragons and came out the better for it. Tori could suddenly see why. The queen radiated sincerity and earnestness, her voice calm enough to not make a fuss, but passionate enough to convey deep emotion. Tori was no match for her, she already knew.
Elie, however, apparently had no such compunctions, because she brandished the king's legs at the queen, causing them to rattle threateningly as she used them to punctuate her points, "Why should we? For years, not months or weeks or days, years, you have left us, abandoned us, failed to protect us, failed to protect our rights, and turned a blind eye to our trials and suffering! We want absolutely no more to do with you!"
Daxia gave Elie an anxious look, "It....Elie, it doesn't have to be like tha--"
"But it should be!"
"I agree," murmured Rhia, her voice quietly resonant. Elie smugly subsided, to await Rhia's next words, and Daxia turned her anxious stare to Rhia. Tori remained silent. As a human in Hridale Province, she'd been the recipient of very little discrimination, though as an innkeeper, she'd seen plenty of it. She was here because she wanted to help her friends, but it was not her place to say what they needed.
Rhia remained on the table, forcing the queen to come down to her level, rather than flying up to the queen's level, her voice just as cool and sincere, "As you yourself said, we have been sorely neglected, but not just in Hridale, all throughout Coris, and you, in your unwillingness to make changes that would help us, are directly to blame. We want a government with no monarchy, and equal representation of all species in Coris, including fae, including elves, including dwarves, humans, trolls, giants, all of us. We have an action plan, ready to implement, and we will hold your king until you implement the first step of it."
"Surely," countered the queen, "You can appreciate why I might wish for my king back and how difficult it is to enact any such policy change over the whole of the kingdom."
"I do, but you have no choice. Tori, if you would?"
The plan was sized for humans, elves, and dwarves, as Rhia had decided that since she was giving it to a human, it needed to be that large. Unfortunately, this meant that Rhia could not physically lift it, as it was almost as big as her, so Tori picked up the documents, and stood, handing them to the queen, who began to look through them, her expression remaining static as she did so.
"You may take your time with those, look them over carefully. Daxia?"
Daxia hefted her hammer again and moved to the queen's side, careful not to touch the queen's superlative garb, and trying to look smaller than head and shoulder's shorter than the queen, "I-If you could...?" The queen looked frustrated for a brief moment, but she schooled her face before allowing herself to be led out.
"Do you think she'll really do it?" asked Elie, poking at the magical sensors in the king's legs, making them twitch and move.
"Stop that," scolded Rhia. She'd already been uncomfortable about taking the king's legs as is, but Elie and Daxia only had his spare pair, the ones he was currently wearing weighted with magic-killing iron. "And no, I don't think she will. You know humans."
Tori felt a familiar stab, but she brushed it off. She knew that Rhia wasn't speaking of her specifically, but it still hurt, still ached, to hear that sort of thing, and to know she could do no more to make it so that Rhia wouldn't have reason to say it. She held her silence as Elie shrugged, "Yeah, but we DO have her king. He's got to be worth something to her. She came in full regalia."
"Intimidation tactic," replied Rhia, her voice decisive as she went back to her seat, "To remind us just how much power she has, and how much we don't."
Daxia came in just as Rhia said that, and she mumbled, "I...I think she was just...trying to give us full respect, you know?"
"I'm with Rhia," said Elie, pointing at the fae in question, "She was just trying to intimidate us into backing down."
"Well, I'm definitely intimidated," said Tori, with a light laugh, "It's amazing she could even reach the door in all of that."
Daxia grinned, "She couldn't."
Tori glanced at the king, who seemed to have resigned himself to his fate, while he watched the four women talk and interact. He noticed her watching him watching the rest of them, and he shrugged. Tori felt for him, but justice had to be done. For all the species humans oppressed.
Friday, September 19, 2014
Colour
This story is a product of Tumblr and, based on the story idea that people only see color when they meet their soulmate, someone wanted a story in that universe wherein aromantics could always see color. If this story is in any way offensive or problematic, please let me know how I can change it to not be offensive, or if I should remove it entirely.
*~*~*~*~*~*
Lane Bryant had a wonderful plethora of attractive clothing styles, cut for bodies of myriad shapes and sizes. If only they stuck to black and white, rather than taking in clothing from designers who used colors So Badly, either because they were new to color, or could not see it at all.
Melissa sighed, inspecting a shirt with a garish mixture of dull orange and neon yellow, attempting to decide if she could forgive herself for buying it. It wasn’t like the vast majority of her friends would be able to tell the difference, as most hadn’t found their soulmates, yet.
Melissa had been born with the ability to see colors from birth, all colors, all shades, from blues and purples, browns and oranges, yellows and reds, all the colors, and she’d been confused for a long time, because other people couldn’t, wouldn't until they found their soulmates, not even her parents.
"Lissy~!"
She was pulled out of her thoughts by someone calling her name. It turned out to be Joanne, her scalp showing pale in the parts between her braids. She must have gotten her hair done recently. Joanne was trailed by an amused Denton, whose diamond-shaped parts were also nice and neat, his long ropes of hair pulled back into a loose ponytail at the base of his neck. They both looked so nice today. Were they out on a date?
Joanne and Denton were Melissa’s exes from college. She’d broken up with them, because after a year, they’d wanted more emotional commitment from her than she was willing to give. She'd felt bad, wanting to give them what they asked for, but they were not her soulmates, and she was not theirs. It had taken time for all of them to recover, and discovering the term "aromantic" had helped Melissa understand why she'd been born with the ability to see all colors, rather than the monochrome world it seemed everyone else experienced, as well as why romance Just Didn't Work for her, but the trio had a strong relationship that had translated into a deep, continuing friendship, and it was always nice to see them.
Melissa brightened at the sight of the pair, who had been terribly occupied in, gasp, real lives, things like jobs and bills and all of that, happy to meet them again after months without seeing them, and she waved in greeting as they came through the racks of clothing, then winced as the clothing in Joanne’s hands became visible. The top was a deep, vivid green, while the skirt was a riotous orange and pink extravaganza.
Separately, they’d have been interesting pieces, if a bit inappropriate for the warm undertones to Joanne's brown skin, but Melissa had no doubt that Joanne wanted to wear them together, because they were nicely-cut and would do marvelous things for Joanne’s body.
Joanne laughed at the look on Melissa’s face, uninsulted by the silent criticism, “Shit, I was afraid these would look terrible together. Denton says the skirt looks fabulous, and /I/ think the shirt looks great, but you know us.”
When Joanne and Denton hooked up, Joanne gained the ability to see blues, purples, and greens, while Denton gained red, pinks, and oranges. Neither of them could see shades of brown, so while they could somewhat monochromatically dress themselves, and each other, neither could appreciate the cool brown of Denton’s skin against Joanne’s darker skin the way Melissa could.
Melissa laughed, “Yeah, I know you two, and I promise that you don’t want to be wearing that when you meet your other soulmate. What would they think of you?”
"That we’re better dressed than them, because we can see some colors, and they can't see any?"
Joanne swatted at Denton with her shirt for his commentary, laughing as he playfully whacked her back with his hair. These losers were so cute, Melissa really didn’t know what to do with them.
"Uh…excuse me?"
The man had a short fade, a sheepish look on his face, heinously mismatched clothes, and a pair of necklaces in his hands, as he spoke to the trio, “Have you found your soulmate?”
People always asked Melissa that when she talked about seeing colors. She didn’t bother to say no anymore, or to explain that she’d been born with the ability to see colors, it just wasn’t worth the effort. Similarly, Joanne and Denton had gotten sick of explaining that they'd met one of their soulmates, and could only see a portion of the full color spectrum.
"Yeah," sighed Melissa, ready to be terribly annoyed by this guy, "What’s up?"
"Well, I wanted to get my mother a necklace. She just found her soulmate, and she likes pink, but I’m not sure what it looks like."
That would explain why he was holding a pair of orange necklaces: he couldn’t tell the difference.
"Neither of those are pink," Denton spoke up, leaning in to peer at them, "I think they’re orange. That’s orange, right Mel?"
"Yeah, that’s orange."
"….is that what orange looks like?”
Three heads swiveled for a look at Joanne, who was staring at the necklaces, her eyes intently focused, her mouth hanging open in shock for just a moment before she licked her lips and swallowed, “I…I can see that color. That’s what orange looks like?”
Denton’s gaze lingered on Joanne, while Melissa watched the man with the fade. She could see the way his eyes darted over Joanne’s clothing and skin, Melissa’s, Denton’s, even his own, as he began to see colors he had never experienced for the first time, and he finally, slowly offered, “My name’s Arthur.”
Joanne recovered first, offering Arthur a little smile, “Hi, Arthur. I'm Joanne, this is Denton, and I…guess we can have Denton teach us both what pink looks like?” She shot a hopeful look at Denton, and he nervously pushed his hair back, “Uh, yeah. I could…totally do that.”
Melissa was out. The last thing she needed was to watch these yahoos flirt over learning colors like they were in a cheesy romcom, so she took the shirt and skirt from Joanne, “I’m gonna go put these back for you, ok?”
Joanne looked at clothes and laughed, grimacing at her options, “Uh, yeah, thanks Lissy.”
"Bye Denton."
"Later, Mel."
"Nice meeting you, Arthur." He gave Melissa a sheepish wave as she escaped. She was happy for her friends, but no thanks.
*~*~*~*~*~*
Lane Bryant had a wonderful plethora of attractive clothing styles, cut for bodies of myriad shapes and sizes. If only they stuck to black and white, rather than taking in clothing from designers who used colors So Badly, either because they were new to color, or could not see it at all.
Melissa sighed, inspecting a shirt with a garish mixture of dull orange and neon yellow, attempting to decide if she could forgive herself for buying it. It wasn’t like the vast majority of her friends would be able to tell the difference, as most hadn’t found their soulmates, yet.
Melissa had been born with the ability to see colors from birth, all colors, all shades, from blues and purples, browns and oranges, yellows and reds, all the colors, and she’d been confused for a long time, because other people couldn’t, wouldn't until they found their soulmates, not even her parents.
"Lissy~!"
She was pulled out of her thoughts by someone calling her name. It turned out to be Joanne, her scalp showing pale in the parts between her braids. She must have gotten her hair done recently. Joanne was trailed by an amused Denton, whose diamond-shaped parts were also nice and neat, his long ropes of hair pulled back into a loose ponytail at the base of his neck. They both looked so nice today. Were they out on a date?
Joanne and Denton were Melissa’s exes from college. She’d broken up with them, because after a year, they’d wanted more emotional commitment from her than she was willing to give. She'd felt bad, wanting to give them what they asked for, but they were not her soulmates, and she was not theirs. It had taken time for all of them to recover, and discovering the term "aromantic" had helped Melissa understand why she'd been born with the ability to see all colors, rather than the monochrome world it seemed everyone else experienced, as well as why romance Just Didn't Work for her, but the trio had a strong relationship that had translated into a deep, continuing friendship, and it was always nice to see them.
Melissa brightened at the sight of the pair, who had been terribly occupied in, gasp, real lives, things like jobs and bills and all of that, happy to meet them again after months without seeing them, and she waved in greeting as they came through the racks of clothing, then winced as the clothing in Joanne’s hands became visible. The top was a deep, vivid green, while the skirt was a riotous orange and pink extravaganza.
Separately, they’d have been interesting pieces, if a bit inappropriate for the warm undertones to Joanne's brown skin, but Melissa had no doubt that Joanne wanted to wear them together, because they were nicely-cut and would do marvelous things for Joanne’s body.
Joanne laughed at the look on Melissa’s face, uninsulted by the silent criticism, “Shit, I was afraid these would look terrible together. Denton says the skirt looks fabulous, and /I/ think the shirt looks great, but you know us.”
When Joanne and Denton hooked up, Joanne gained the ability to see blues, purples, and greens, while Denton gained red, pinks, and oranges. Neither of them could see shades of brown, so while they could somewhat monochromatically dress themselves, and each other, neither could appreciate the cool brown of Denton’s skin against Joanne’s darker skin the way Melissa could.
Melissa laughed, “Yeah, I know you two, and I promise that you don’t want to be wearing that when you meet your other soulmate. What would they think of you?”
"That we’re better dressed than them, because we can see some colors, and they can't see any?"
Joanne swatted at Denton with her shirt for his commentary, laughing as he playfully whacked her back with his hair. These losers were so cute, Melissa really didn’t know what to do with them.
"Uh…excuse me?"
The man had a short fade, a sheepish look on his face, heinously mismatched clothes, and a pair of necklaces in his hands, as he spoke to the trio, “Have you found your soulmate?”
People always asked Melissa that when she talked about seeing colors. She didn’t bother to say no anymore, or to explain that she’d been born with the ability to see colors, it just wasn’t worth the effort. Similarly, Joanne and Denton had gotten sick of explaining that they'd met one of their soulmates, and could only see a portion of the full color spectrum.
"Yeah," sighed Melissa, ready to be terribly annoyed by this guy, "What’s up?"
"Well, I wanted to get my mother a necklace. She just found her soulmate, and she likes pink, but I’m not sure what it looks like."
That would explain why he was holding a pair of orange necklaces: he couldn’t tell the difference.
"Neither of those are pink," Denton spoke up, leaning in to peer at them, "I think they’re orange. That’s orange, right Mel?"
"Yeah, that’s orange."
"….is that what orange looks like?”
Three heads swiveled for a look at Joanne, who was staring at the necklaces, her eyes intently focused, her mouth hanging open in shock for just a moment before she licked her lips and swallowed, “I…I can see that color. That’s what orange looks like?”
Denton’s gaze lingered on Joanne, while Melissa watched the man with the fade. She could see the way his eyes darted over Joanne’s clothing and skin, Melissa’s, Denton’s, even his own, as he began to see colors he had never experienced for the first time, and he finally, slowly offered, “My name’s Arthur.”
Joanne recovered first, offering Arthur a little smile, “Hi, Arthur. I'm Joanne, this is Denton, and I…guess we can have Denton teach us both what pink looks like?” She shot a hopeful look at Denton, and he nervously pushed his hair back, “Uh, yeah. I could…totally do that.”
Melissa was out. The last thing she needed was to watch these yahoos flirt over learning colors like they were in a cheesy romcom, so she took the shirt and skirt from Joanne, “I’m gonna go put these back for you, ok?”
Joanne looked at clothes and laughed, grimacing at her options, “Uh, yeah, thanks Lissy.”
"Bye Denton."
"Later, Mel."
"Nice meeting you, Arthur." He gave Melissa a sheepish wave as she escaped. She was happy for her friends, but no thanks.
Friday, August 22, 2014
And Baby Makes Four
**This story features non-graphic mentions of rape, attempted rape, kidnapping, slavery, and PTSD. If these story elements are upsetting to you, please be forewarned that they appear.**
When Lady Tori of Tremaine Castle first saw Etra, she was instantly enthralled by the woman, tall and a bit sickly from overexertion, but with elegant hands and flowing robes that changed color before Tori's eyes.
Etra was the traveling storyteller, come to the Tremaine from distant lands and her stories were magic, brought to life for children and adults alike with illusions so vivid, Tori could taste them, feel them, smell them.
Etra gave herself the role of the wise witch, and Tori was suddenly transformed into the brave knight Etra had endowed with the weaponry to retrieve the clever princess kidnapped by filthy barbaric northerners, played by a beautiful merchant named Janelle, who was just as confused about her sudden change in role, but who, like Tori, played along.
Tori fought a dragon, huge and bitter with age, hot breath transforming her black globe of curls into a flaming halo of death, while Janelle used science to discredit the evil young wizard before his savage king.
Tori outwit a troll, at the expense of bruises that lasted for days, and she truly felt those days, dragging heavy armor and heavier feet ever forward after a princess all her comrades assumed dead, while Janelle made friends with female housestaff who taught her how to keep the envious wizard from exacting his vengeance by way of nightly visit, and used what she learned to thwart the evil wizard until he gave that tactic up
Tori navigated swamps and climbed mountains, and when she reached the princess, she had truly fought for her lady, while Janelle had fought just as hard, navigating treaties with the king with wit and determination, and nightly assassins from the evil wizard with powders and poisons hidden in her long ropes of hair.
Janelle came to Tori's side, the princess as triumphant as the knight, and the wise witch who narrated their adventures declared them victorious and deserving of the happily ever after due any princess and her knight.
Janelle came to Tori's side, the princess as triumphant as the knight, and the wise witch who narrated their adventures declared them victorious and deserving of the happily ever after due any princess and her knight.
It was a terrible shock for both women when the illusory framework serving as their twinned stories dropped away, leaving Tori down on one knee before Janelle's travel-worn shoes, a soft, warm hand between her shoulderblades.
The hand slowly, hesitantly withdrew as Tori lifted her head, looking past the round of Janelle's belly and ample bust to the softness of her face, where she saw the desire and devotion she felt, only partially leftover from the tale, reflected in Janelle's deep brown eyes.
Tori stood, but a cloud crossing the sun caused Janelle to glance towards the sky, reminding both women that they'd lost half the day to this silliness. Tori's time could and would be made up at the expense of Tori's night, but Janelle's was her livelihood, and her way of having food and a place to stay the night. As apology, Tori invited Janelle to stay the night in a room at Tremaine Castle, and the look on Janelle's face assured Tori that whatever room Janelle was to be in, she wanted Tori to be in it as well
Etra, haggard and worn from her entertainment efforts, staggered over to the pair, her wide smile lit from within as she praised both women for their roles in her story, praising their passion and enthusiasm, confessing that she extended the tale farther than she usually did in deference to their commitment to their characters, long fingers and elegant hands once again catching Tori's attention as Etra concluded by informing the pair that it was the best performance she'd done in years.
Tori invited Etra to Tremaine Castle for the night as well, the interested arch of Janelle's brow informing Tori that Etra had caught Janelle's attention as well, even though Tori strongly suspected Etra would only sleep.
Tori and Janelle were both pleased and delighted when Etra accepted the invitation, but though the women made their interest known, and Etra seemed to reciprocate, by the time the meal had ended, they had watched in awe as Etra consumed enough food for five women to replenish energy lost, and was forced to sleep off her necessary gluttony alone.
With Etra comfortably ensconced in her bed for the night, Tori and Janelle retreated to Tori's quarters, where Tori discovered that Janelle was witty and achingly sweet, while Janelle learned that Tori was devoted and astonishingly lonely, and the women bonded over their shared experience in Etra's story, and more.
Neither much minded Etra's absence, though when they fed each other fruit and sweet-tasting breads over lunch, to help each other recover from a night as interesting as their day, they were saddened to learn that Etra left early in the day, but with promises to return to them someday.
Janelle remained with Tori for more than a month, learning the lady of the castle and being learned in turn, but soon, she was forced to return to parents and siblings that missed her and needed her to take care of them. Tori sent gifts of food, cloth, and toys home with Janelle, happily accepting freely-given promises to return.
Janelle craved travel and frequent change of scenery, so even though she had Tori's patronage and love, she continued her work as a merchant, selling and trading far and wide. She visited Tori often, occasionally bringing her family to join her, until soon, Tori considered Janelle's family her own, a distinction they accepted with pride.
Before long, the people of Tremaine considered Janelle and her family as much a part of Tremaine Castle as their Lady Tori, because rather than exploit Tori's kindness, Janelle's family found ways to help and improve Tremaine, and its lady as well.
Years came and went, and though Tori and Janelle sometimes thought of the storyteller who'd brought them together, they were happy together, even when Janelle's absences left Tori aching for her love, and Tori's refusal to travel left Janelle aching in much the same way.
When Etra returned to Tremaine Castle, it was shocking and unexpected, the tall woman deathly ill from escaping slavers she met while in the distant, cold north, her spirit deeply poisoned by the iron that had burned her body in reaction to the magic it possessed.
Etra had needed somewhere safe to return to, and Tremaine Castle, so far from the cold of the north, and home to at least one person Etra remembered wanting her presence, seemed like the perfect place to come to, even after so long away. She was, of course, quite right.
Tori tended Etra while Janelle, having traveled widely, explained to Tori that the northerners were prone to kidnapping any woman capable of magic and attempting to use said woman to obtain magic for their daughters, born of a northerner and a southerner, as the northerners had no magic of their own.
Etra could not get pregnant, and would have thus been useless to the northerners. The only reason Etra was able to escape was because her captors did not realize her powers extended beyond illusions, which were merely what she was most skilled at, and she was able to use it to return to Tremaine when they set her loose in their snowy woods, with intent to hunt her like an animal.
It took a long time, but between Tori and Janelle, they were able to restore Etra's body to health, and though Etra's mind had suffered from what she'd endured, Tori and Janelle learned how to navigate those painful places, to make Tremaine Castle a safe place for Etra to be.
Etra tasted of Janelle the first time she kissed Tori, and it was an old, familiar flavor combined with a new and exciting one that made Tori fall in love with both women, all over again.
Soon, though, even love and old fears could not curb Etra's wanderlust, and with Janelle as her companion, Tori felt she needn't worry too much about where her lovers went or how long they were gone, though the days without them were long and slow, causing her to turn to Janelle's family, now Tori's as well, more and more.
Janelle's niece, Dana, was clever, and she loved Tremaine as her own, so Tori began grooming the girl to be the new lady of Tremaine, waiting every day for her lovers to return to her when she was not occupied with such grooming, and the matters of Tremaine that so occupied the bulk of her time.
It was a joyous day in Tremaine when Lady Tori's loves returned home, both glowing with pride in work well done, each their own, and both fiercely missing their shared love. And share they did, occupying the rest of Tori's night and much of her next day, showing her how much they'd missed her.
After only a few days with Tori and Janelle, Etra soon insisted that she was ready to set out for her next adventure, even that she'd stayed too long, to both her lovers' dismay: Janelle, because she'd only just reunited with her family after time away, and Tori, because, like Janelle, she didn't want to see Etra leave so soon.
For their sake, Etra stayed another week, and then, she was gone again. The next years were hard on Tori, for Etra could not be kept home for longer than a few days at a time, not returning for months at a time, and Janelle frequently got itchy feet before Etra returned, and would often leave Tori without either of her loves for weeks, sometimes months at a time, especially if they left at the same time, though she still saw Janelle most frequently.
Things changed when Tori got pregnant. She had made her desire to have children known to both her lovers, and while Janelle had no desire to be pregnant, and thus took measures to ensure Etra could never give her one, she had assured Tori that if a child came along, she would be happy to dote on that child as one of its mothers.
When Tori learned she was to have Etra's child, Janelle promised to relay the message to Etra when the two travelers' paths inevitably crossed, as neither was prone to using backroads or obscure routes, for no people could be found there to support their work.
Tori was six months along, her belly beginning to swell when the women returned to her, together, for once in a rare while, and Tori was relieved when both promised to stay close until the baby was born.
The next few years were blissful for Tori, who needn't pine for her lovers' presence while they were away, only seek them out in her home. Janelle, more accustomed to remaining in one place for longer periods, handled the time rather easily, learning some of what her niece knew, and some of what the rest of her family had learned to help Tori as Tori's pregnancy took a toll on her, and Etra's illusions and tactics from distant lands helped Tori and the people of Tremaine in still different manners.
Etra was less content with her restiveness, and took long rides throughout Tremaine to learn and entertain the people, sometimes with Janelle, and sometimes alone, though when the baby was born, she doted on the child as much as Tori and Janelle.
The child was named Morgan, and when Morgan was old enough to walk and ride a horse, Etra insisted that an expedition was necessary, taking Janelle with her and Morgan. Tori had never been more terrified in her life, but when Janelle eventually brought Morgan home, explaining that Etra had continued on alone, Tori was relieved her child had returned healthy, as well as a little saddened that life had returned to what it once was, even understanding that her life smothered her Etra.
Fortunately, Etra returned home more often, frequently to sweep Morgan away, sometimes to bask with her family, Janelle and Tori and Morgan, the four of them all together. As Morgan grew, Etra was also able to enjoy more intimate time with her lovers, staying home longer to do so. Janelle, of course, also resumed her traveling ways, often taking Morgan with her, and Morgan would frequently leave with one traveling mother and return with the other.
Tori laughingly resigned herself to the fact that she had a family of wanderers, and when Morgan struck out alone, Tori had a third party to await the return of, with reunions being happy affairs, and occasions when they were all together, usually Morgan's birthday, even happier.
The love of Morgan's life turned out to be a northerner, to terrified shock and awe, but the tales of love Morgan carried back were enough to sway Janelle and Etra, the frightened Tori resisting for a long time, out of memory for pain caused her lover. It took visits from Morgan's new family to convince Tori that, if nowhere else, Morgan was safe with them.
Even so, Tori did everything she could to tempt Morgan's new family to Tremaine, where her child would be close, and the dangers posed by the northerns would be minimized, but their home had been with them for centuries, and Morgan wisely pointed out that Dana, training under Tori's tutelage, was better-suited to look after Tremaine than the wanderlust-filled Morgan.
With a heavy heart, Tori traveled from Tremaine for the first time in her life, to attend Morgan's wedding. The trek was frightening, remembering the experiences Etra had endured, and being amongst so many northerners was disorienting, but with Etra, Janelle, and Morgan to show her the way, Tori found the trip enjoyable, leaving Dana to do what she had been learning to do for decades.
Tori was happy to return home, and though she was sad Morgan was so far, the distance and the travel exhilarated Morgan, who visited often, frequently with gifts and messages conducted from Etra or Janelle as Morgan's route crossed theirs.
The years passed, and the travels of Etra and Janelle slowed, fewer trips out happening each year, those trips lasting shorter and shorter periods of time. Tori wanted to be happy, but she knew it was because her lovers were becoming less and less capable of doing what they loved, which saddened her greatly, because it was their passion.
To their pained shock, Etra was the first to pass, burned out by her powers, and though Tori tried to console Janelle by traveling with her, Tori could not travel with Janelle as Etra had traveled with Janelle, and Tori soon gave up the effort.
Tori was the next to pass, her life of dedication to Tremaine having finally taken its toll on her body, and she was buried beside Etra. When the grief-stricken Janelle followed her into death a year later, she was buried on the other side of Tori, the way the new lady of Tremaine thought it should be.
Morgan mourned the deaths of three mothers, but time softened the most painful edges, and Morgan left Tremaine in the most capable hands it could be left in, allowing the Castle and its surrounding area to flourish, until noone was left alive who remembered the Lady Tori, the Illusionist Etra, and the Merchant Janelle, who loved each other so.
The hand slowly, hesitantly withdrew as Tori lifted her head, looking past the round of Janelle's belly and ample bust to the softness of her face, where she saw the desire and devotion she felt, only partially leftover from the tale, reflected in Janelle's deep brown eyes.
Tori stood, but a cloud crossing the sun caused Janelle to glance towards the sky, reminding both women that they'd lost half the day to this silliness. Tori's time could and would be made up at the expense of Tori's night, but Janelle's was her livelihood, and her way of having food and a place to stay the night. As apology, Tori invited Janelle to stay the night in a room at Tremaine Castle, and the look on Janelle's face assured Tori that whatever room Janelle was to be in, she wanted Tori to be in it as well
Etra, haggard and worn from her entertainment efforts, staggered over to the pair, her wide smile lit from within as she praised both women for their roles in her story, praising their passion and enthusiasm, confessing that she extended the tale farther than she usually did in deference to their commitment to their characters, long fingers and elegant hands once again catching Tori's attention as Etra concluded by informing the pair that it was the best performance she'd done in years.
Tori invited Etra to Tremaine Castle for the night as well, the interested arch of Janelle's brow informing Tori that Etra had caught Janelle's attention as well, even though Tori strongly suspected Etra would only sleep.
Tori and Janelle were both pleased and delighted when Etra accepted the invitation, but though the women made their interest known, and Etra seemed to reciprocate, by the time the meal had ended, they had watched in awe as Etra consumed enough food for five women to replenish energy lost, and was forced to sleep off her necessary gluttony alone.
With Etra comfortably ensconced in her bed for the night, Tori and Janelle retreated to Tori's quarters, where Tori discovered that Janelle was witty and achingly sweet, while Janelle learned that Tori was devoted and astonishingly lonely, and the women bonded over their shared experience in Etra's story, and more.
Neither much minded Etra's absence, though when they fed each other fruit and sweet-tasting breads over lunch, to help each other recover from a night as interesting as their day, they were saddened to learn that Etra left early in the day, but with promises to return to them someday.
Janelle remained with Tori for more than a month, learning the lady of the castle and being learned in turn, but soon, she was forced to return to parents and siblings that missed her and needed her to take care of them. Tori sent gifts of food, cloth, and toys home with Janelle, happily accepting freely-given promises to return.
Janelle craved travel and frequent change of scenery, so even though she had Tori's patronage and love, she continued her work as a merchant, selling and trading far and wide. She visited Tori often, occasionally bringing her family to join her, until soon, Tori considered Janelle's family her own, a distinction they accepted with pride.
Before long, the people of Tremaine considered Janelle and her family as much a part of Tremaine Castle as their Lady Tori, because rather than exploit Tori's kindness, Janelle's family found ways to help and improve Tremaine, and its lady as well.
Years came and went, and though Tori and Janelle sometimes thought of the storyteller who'd brought them together, they were happy together, even when Janelle's absences left Tori aching for her love, and Tori's refusal to travel left Janelle aching in much the same way.
When Etra returned to Tremaine Castle, it was shocking and unexpected, the tall woman deathly ill from escaping slavers she met while in the distant, cold north, her spirit deeply poisoned by the iron that had burned her body in reaction to the magic it possessed.
Etra had needed somewhere safe to return to, and Tremaine Castle, so far from the cold of the north, and home to at least one person Etra remembered wanting her presence, seemed like the perfect place to come to, even after so long away. She was, of course, quite right.
Tori tended Etra while Janelle, having traveled widely, explained to Tori that the northerners were prone to kidnapping any woman capable of magic and attempting to use said woman to obtain magic for their daughters, born of a northerner and a southerner, as the northerners had no magic of their own.
Etra could not get pregnant, and would have thus been useless to the northerners. The only reason Etra was able to escape was because her captors did not realize her powers extended beyond illusions, which were merely what she was most skilled at, and she was able to use it to return to Tremaine when they set her loose in their snowy woods, with intent to hunt her like an animal.
It took a long time, but between Tori and Janelle, they were able to restore Etra's body to health, and though Etra's mind had suffered from what she'd endured, Tori and Janelle learned how to navigate those painful places, to make Tremaine Castle a safe place for Etra to be.
Etra tasted of Janelle the first time she kissed Tori, and it was an old, familiar flavor combined with a new and exciting one that made Tori fall in love with both women, all over again.
Soon, though, even love and old fears could not curb Etra's wanderlust, and with Janelle as her companion, Tori felt she needn't worry too much about where her lovers went or how long they were gone, though the days without them were long and slow, causing her to turn to Janelle's family, now Tori's as well, more and more.
Janelle's niece, Dana, was clever, and she loved Tremaine as her own, so Tori began grooming the girl to be the new lady of Tremaine, waiting every day for her lovers to return to her when she was not occupied with such grooming, and the matters of Tremaine that so occupied the bulk of her time.
It was a joyous day in Tremaine when Lady Tori's loves returned home, both glowing with pride in work well done, each their own, and both fiercely missing their shared love. And share they did, occupying the rest of Tori's night and much of her next day, showing her how much they'd missed her.
After only a few days with Tori and Janelle, Etra soon insisted that she was ready to set out for her next adventure, even that she'd stayed too long, to both her lovers' dismay: Janelle, because she'd only just reunited with her family after time away, and Tori, because, like Janelle, she didn't want to see Etra leave so soon.
For their sake, Etra stayed another week, and then, she was gone again. The next years were hard on Tori, for Etra could not be kept home for longer than a few days at a time, not returning for months at a time, and Janelle frequently got itchy feet before Etra returned, and would often leave Tori without either of her loves for weeks, sometimes months at a time, especially if they left at the same time, though she still saw Janelle most frequently.
Things changed when Tori got pregnant. She had made her desire to have children known to both her lovers, and while Janelle had no desire to be pregnant, and thus took measures to ensure Etra could never give her one, she had assured Tori that if a child came along, she would be happy to dote on that child as one of its mothers.
When Tori learned she was to have Etra's child, Janelle promised to relay the message to Etra when the two travelers' paths inevitably crossed, as neither was prone to using backroads or obscure routes, for no people could be found there to support their work.
Tori was six months along, her belly beginning to swell when the women returned to her, together, for once in a rare while, and Tori was relieved when both promised to stay close until the baby was born.
The next few years were blissful for Tori, who needn't pine for her lovers' presence while they were away, only seek them out in her home. Janelle, more accustomed to remaining in one place for longer periods, handled the time rather easily, learning some of what her niece knew, and some of what the rest of her family had learned to help Tori as Tori's pregnancy took a toll on her, and Etra's illusions and tactics from distant lands helped Tori and the people of Tremaine in still different manners.
Etra was less content with her restiveness, and took long rides throughout Tremaine to learn and entertain the people, sometimes with Janelle, and sometimes alone, though when the baby was born, she doted on the child as much as Tori and Janelle.
The child was named Morgan, and when Morgan was old enough to walk and ride a horse, Etra insisted that an expedition was necessary, taking Janelle with her and Morgan. Tori had never been more terrified in her life, but when Janelle eventually brought Morgan home, explaining that Etra had continued on alone, Tori was relieved her child had returned healthy, as well as a little saddened that life had returned to what it once was, even understanding that her life smothered her Etra.
Fortunately, Etra returned home more often, frequently to sweep Morgan away, sometimes to bask with her family, Janelle and Tori and Morgan, the four of them all together. As Morgan grew, Etra was also able to enjoy more intimate time with her lovers, staying home longer to do so. Janelle, of course, also resumed her traveling ways, often taking Morgan with her, and Morgan would frequently leave with one traveling mother and return with the other.
Tori laughingly resigned herself to the fact that she had a family of wanderers, and when Morgan struck out alone, Tori had a third party to await the return of, with reunions being happy affairs, and occasions when they were all together, usually Morgan's birthday, even happier.
The love of Morgan's life turned out to be a northerner, to terrified shock and awe, but the tales of love Morgan carried back were enough to sway Janelle and Etra, the frightened Tori resisting for a long time, out of memory for pain caused her lover. It took visits from Morgan's new family to convince Tori that, if nowhere else, Morgan was safe with them.
Even so, Tori did everything she could to tempt Morgan's new family to Tremaine, where her child would be close, and the dangers posed by the northerns would be minimized, but their home had been with them for centuries, and Morgan wisely pointed out that Dana, training under Tori's tutelage, was better-suited to look after Tremaine than the wanderlust-filled Morgan.
With a heavy heart, Tori traveled from Tremaine for the first time in her life, to attend Morgan's wedding. The trek was frightening, remembering the experiences Etra had endured, and being amongst so many northerners was disorienting, but with Etra, Janelle, and Morgan to show her the way, Tori found the trip enjoyable, leaving Dana to do what she had been learning to do for decades.
Tori was happy to return home, and though she was sad Morgan was so far, the distance and the travel exhilarated Morgan, who visited often, frequently with gifts and messages conducted from Etra or Janelle as Morgan's route crossed theirs.
The years passed, and the travels of Etra and Janelle slowed, fewer trips out happening each year, those trips lasting shorter and shorter periods of time. Tori wanted to be happy, but she knew it was because her lovers were becoming less and less capable of doing what they loved, which saddened her greatly, because it was their passion.
To their pained shock, Etra was the first to pass, burned out by her powers, and though Tori tried to console Janelle by traveling with her, Tori could not travel with Janelle as Etra had traveled with Janelle, and Tori soon gave up the effort.
Tori was the next to pass, her life of dedication to Tremaine having finally taken its toll on her body, and she was buried beside Etra. When the grief-stricken Janelle followed her into death a year later, she was buried on the other side of Tori, the way the new lady of Tremaine thought it should be.
Morgan mourned the deaths of three mothers, but time softened the most painful edges, and Morgan left Tremaine in the most capable hands it could be left in, allowing the Castle and its surrounding area to flourish, until noone was left alive who remembered the Lady Tori, the Illusionist Etra, and the Merchant Janelle, who loved each other so.
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