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.
Showing posts with label disabled character. Show all posts
Showing posts with label disabled character. Show all posts
Friday, October 3, 2014
Friday, September 5, 2014
Lose It All
The last thing Kerry thought was, "Today started so well."
Kerry and Alicia had worked on the same team for about a year, doing a multilingual project with three guys, all white. As the only women on the team, they'd bonded quickly, especially when it became clear that Kerry was the Japanese expert, and Alicia was the German expert. That'd teach the men to make assumptions.
Bonding at work by giggling at the white guys had turned into lunch at the sushi counter and soon, dinner at a nice Japanese steakhouse. Alicia preferred the ones with white servers, because they never assumed she spoke Japanese, which Kerry could appreciate.
Kerry had gotten her letter changed right before the multilingual project, so she had been able to make a fresh start with her new team. It had thrown off people who'd known her before, but the company had stood by Kerry, and that was more than plenty for Kerry to stand by the company, and when Alicia had reflexively accepted Kerry, it forced their other team members to do the same.
Unfortunately, Kerry's landlord hadn't been so accommodating, and Kerry decided to move out before she got pushed out. A careless comment from Alicia, and the two women were soon plotting a plan to move in together, one they soon brought to fruition at a spacious, open-plan place with well-maintained ramps and a wonderful non-discrimination policy.
They hired movers, and spent their first night in their new home eating takeout, watching old movies, and making love.
The next day, they decided to go out, explore their new neighborhood, and just have a good time, making faces at each other in the bathroom mirror as they put their makeup on, and laughing when they accidentally grabbed one another's makeup, because the electric blue eyeshadow that would work on Kerry wasn't doing Alicia any favors, while Alicia's bronzing glitter powder would just wash out Kerry.
Since they were exploring, Kerry went with her cute jeans, fro, and tennies, while Alicia opted for a floral sundress and a flower headband, both women determined to look as beautiful as they felt together. They were cute as hell, and so in love.
And as fantastic as the day began, it only got better.
They found most of the shops downtown were made to accommodate Alicia's chair, in deference to the nearby apartment complex, noone batted an eyelash when Kerry wanted to try on a few things, and when Alicia intimated she wanted to try things on, the workers immediately asked if they needed to let Kerry in to help her.
There was a brief sour spot when some boys made some nasty comments Kerry's way, but a cop drove them off with the reassurance that if he hadn't acted, he couldn't have lived with himself, and he even escorted the pair to the sushi restaurant they'd been heading to for their late lunch.
Eventually, they found themselves happily exhausted near a large, beautiful cemetery, and since it was still light out, they decided that the quiet, serene beauty of the place would be rejuvenating, and it was. The cemetery was full of beautiful statues and placards, planted with lush, vibrant flowers and bushes that attracted lilting birds and a variety of small animals that scurried out of sight with a rustle at the whir of Alicia's approaching chair.
It was an idyllic place to be, and they explored there for the rest of the afternoon, peering at graves, sheepishly giggling when they were able to mark their progress over damp soil by twinned lines and footsteps left in their wake. Both women commented to each other that they wished they'd brought a picnic, or at least takeout, so they could share a meal with the dead, to honor them and keep them company.
They only began to head back as the shadows grew long, the light painting the world in reds and oranges as the sun set. A shadow moved where Kerry hadn't expected anyone to be, and she stopped, putting a hand on Alicia's shoulder to let her girlfriend know what she was doing, the whir of Alicia's chair fading as Alicia came to a halt as well. Kerry peered into the darkness, and from what she could see, there was a little girl with Mickey Mouse puffs, her back to Kerry and Alicia, surrounded by several men, big ones with white sticks tangled into long ropes of ill-kempt hair and half-flattened afros, their skin oddly pale.
One of them moved just the right way, and to Kerry's shock, she realized that their faces were rotting off. Not just their faces, but all of their skin, their bodies, to the point Kerry could see bone and gray muscle. This was, she realized, more than simple disease, especially taking in the shambling gait of the men around the little girl.
In any other situation, Kerry would have fled, left the zombies for someone else to deal with, but the someone else who'd have to deal with them was a kid, and you didn't just leave kids to their fates, no matter what. Kerry sharply barked for Alicia to call the cops and she pelted across the manicured grass, to Alicia's terrified shouting. The grass would hinder Alicia's progress, and if one of those men attacked, tipped Alicia over, she'd be able to defend herself or escape, not both, which Kerry didn't want to risk.
Kerry shoved two of the men away, trying her best to ignore the way their bodies squelched as she reached for the little girl's hand. Dear god, those were bones in their hair. She didn't allow herself any more time to contemplate them, towing the little girl after her, then just swinging the child, who couldn't have been older than eight, over her shoulder as she ran back to Alicia, who was staring past her in shock.
Kerry turned to see what had caused Alicia's shock, and had to put the little girl down when she realized that the men who'd been surrounding the little girl were gone. There was no sign of them, which wasn't possible, because Kerry had pushed past them, she'd felt their too-soft bodies and seen their milky dead eyes. Kerry heard motion and rustling behind her, and assumed the little girl was crawling into Alicia's lap.
Then she heard Alicia making a distressed sound, and looked back to see:
Mickey Mouse puffs held in place by pink balls
A too-wide, too-bright, too-sharp smile
Unnatural pupil-less blue-upon-blue eyes.
The girl was sitting in Alicia's lap, holding Alicia's wrists down, where she couldn't reach the controls, the pair surrounded by the same men Kerry had just 'rescued' the little girl from, bringing Kerry to the terrifying realization that they weren't attackers.
They were minions.
The last thing Kerry thought was, "Today started so well."
Kerry and Alicia had worked on the same team for about a year, doing a multilingual project with three guys, all white. As the only women on the team, they'd bonded quickly, especially when it became clear that Kerry was the Japanese expert, and Alicia was the German expert. That'd teach the men to make assumptions.
Bonding at work by giggling at the white guys had turned into lunch at the sushi counter and soon, dinner at a nice Japanese steakhouse. Alicia preferred the ones with white servers, because they never assumed she spoke Japanese, which Kerry could appreciate.
Kerry had gotten her letter changed right before the multilingual project, so she had been able to make a fresh start with her new team. It had thrown off people who'd known her before, but the company had stood by Kerry, and that was more than plenty for Kerry to stand by the company, and when Alicia had reflexively accepted Kerry, it forced their other team members to do the same.
Unfortunately, Kerry's landlord hadn't been so accommodating, and Kerry decided to move out before she got pushed out. A careless comment from Alicia, and the two women were soon plotting a plan to move in together, one they soon brought to fruition at a spacious, open-plan place with well-maintained ramps and a wonderful non-discrimination policy.
They hired movers, and spent their first night in their new home eating takeout, watching old movies, and making love.
The next day, they decided to go out, explore their new neighborhood, and just have a good time, making faces at each other in the bathroom mirror as they put their makeup on, and laughing when they accidentally grabbed one another's makeup, because the electric blue eyeshadow that would work on Kerry wasn't doing Alicia any favors, while Alicia's bronzing glitter powder would just wash out Kerry.
Since they were exploring, Kerry went with her cute jeans, fro, and tennies, while Alicia opted for a floral sundress and a flower headband, both women determined to look as beautiful as they felt together. They were cute as hell, and so in love.
And as fantastic as the day began, it only got better.
They found most of the shops downtown were made to accommodate Alicia's chair, in deference to the nearby apartment complex, noone batted an eyelash when Kerry wanted to try on a few things, and when Alicia intimated she wanted to try things on, the workers immediately asked if they needed to let Kerry in to help her.
There was a brief sour spot when some boys made some nasty comments Kerry's way, but a cop drove them off with the reassurance that if he hadn't acted, he couldn't have lived with himself, and he even escorted the pair to the sushi restaurant they'd been heading to for their late lunch.
Eventually, they found themselves happily exhausted near a large, beautiful cemetery, and since it was still light out, they decided that the quiet, serene beauty of the place would be rejuvenating, and it was. The cemetery was full of beautiful statues and placards, planted with lush, vibrant flowers and bushes that attracted lilting birds and a variety of small animals that scurried out of sight with a rustle at the whir of Alicia's approaching chair.
It was an idyllic place to be, and they explored there for the rest of the afternoon, peering at graves, sheepishly giggling when they were able to mark their progress over damp soil by twinned lines and footsteps left in their wake. Both women commented to each other that they wished they'd brought a picnic, or at least takeout, so they could share a meal with the dead, to honor them and keep them company.
They only began to head back as the shadows grew long, the light painting the world in reds and oranges as the sun set. A shadow moved where Kerry hadn't expected anyone to be, and she stopped, putting a hand on Alicia's shoulder to let her girlfriend know what she was doing, the whir of Alicia's chair fading as Alicia came to a halt as well. Kerry peered into the darkness, and from what she could see, there was a little girl with Mickey Mouse puffs, her back to Kerry and Alicia, surrounded by several men, big ones with white sticks tangled into long ropes of ill-kempt hair and half-flattened afros, their skin oddly pale.
One of them moved just the right way, and to Kerry's shock, she realized that their faces were rotting off. Not just their faces, but all of their skin, their bodies, to the point Kerry could see bone and gray muscle. This was, she realized, more than simple disease, especially taking in the shambling gait of the men around the little girl.
In any other situation, Kerry would have fled, left the zombies for someone else to deal with, but the someone else who'd have to deal with them was a kid, and you didn't just leave kids to their fates, no matter what. Kerry sharply barked for Alicia to call the cops and she pelted across the manicured grass, to Alicia's terrified shouting. The grass would hinder Alicia's progress, and if one of those men attacked, tipped Alicia over, she'd be able to defend herself or escape, not both, which Kerry didn't want to risk.
Kerry shoved two of the men away, trying her best to ignore the way their bodies squelched as she reached for the little girl's hand. Dear god, those were bones in their hair. She didn't allow herself any more time to contemplate them, towing the little girl after her, then just swinging the child, who couldn't have been older than eight, over her shoulder as she ran back to Alicia, who was staring past her in shock.
Kerry turned to see what had caused Alicia's shock, and had to put the little girl down when she realized that the men who'd been surrounding the little girl were gone. There was no sign of them, which wasn't possible, because Kerry had pushed past them, she'd felt their too-soft bodies and seen their milky dead eyes. Kerry heard motion and rustling behind her, and assumed the little girl was crawling into Alicia's lap.
Then she heard Alicia making a distressed sound, and looked back to see:
Mickey Mouse puffs held in place by pink balls
A too-wide, too-bright, too-sharp smile
Unnatural pupil-less blue-upon-blue eyes.
The girl was sitting in Alicia's lap, holding Alicia's wrists down, where she couldn't reach the controls, the pair surrounded by the same men Kerry had just 'rescued' the little girl from, bringing Kerry to the terrifying realization that they weren't attackers.
They were minions.
The last thing Kerry thought was, "Today started so well."
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