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flightfoot · 4 years

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Analyzing Reyna’s romance (or rather, lack thereof) arc and her feelings towards it throughout the series

Recently, Rick published a tweet about Reyna’s orientation, stating “Personally, I see her as romantic asexual and have written her arc with that in mind. (hence the prophecy in HoO) It’s been a struggle for her to figure that out, as she explains in Tyrant’s Tomb. But as always, interpret the text as you wish.”

After reading Tyrant’s Tomb, I figured she was somewhere around ace or aro, so it was cool to see it confirmed that he wrote her with that in mind! Especially since I’m ace myself, and we don’t get a ton of representation. It was just really neat.

In light of that, I wanted to lay out and analyze her arc as it relates to her orientation, to who she’s attracted (or moreso, not attracted) to, starting from her first appearance and continuing through to Tyrant’s Tomb.

Starting all the way from “Son of Neptune”, there’s hints and conversations about Reyna’s love life woven in, with Percy noticing how Reyna reacts to Jason being mentioned.

Reyna grimaced. Percy got the feeling this guy Jason might’ve been more to her than just a colleague. (SON 41)

Percy doesn’t know much of anything about Jason or Reyna or the culture in Camp Jupiter, so he doesn’t have much of a bias towards thinking they’re a couple because of those factors. For Percy to still pick up on Reyna being especially close to Jason is a pretty good indicator that that wasn’t just other people reading into it, seeing what they expect to see from Reyna - something which DOES happen a lot, and that Reyna goes into in Tyrant’s Tomb.

Jason… Percy couldn’t go very far in this camp without hearing that name.

“The way you talk about him…” Percy said. “Were you two a couple?”

Reyna’s eyes bored into him – like the eyes of a hungry wolf. Percy had seen enough hungry wolves to know.

“We might have been,” Reyna said, “given time. Praetors work closely together. It’s common for them to become romantically involved. But Jason was only praetor for a few months before he disappeared. Ever since then, Octavian has been pestering me, agitating for new elections. I’ve resisted. I’ve resisted. I need a new partner in power – but I prefer someone like Jason. A warrior, not a schemer.”

She waited. Percy realized she was sending him a silent invitation.

His mouth went dry. “Oh… you mean… oh.”

“I believe the gods sent you to help me,” Reyna said. “I don’t understand where you come from, any more than I understood it four years ago. But I think your arrival is some form of repayment. You destroyed my home once. Now you’ve been sent to save my home. I don’t hold a grudge against you for the past, Percy. My sister hates you still, it’s true, but Fate brought me here to Camp Jupiter. I’ve done well. All I ask is that you work with me for the future. I intend to save this camp. (SON 181)

Initially when she’s introduced, and in the early books especially, Reyna gives off this extremely dangerous vibe, with Percy especially being nervous about her. Her initial proposition here seems very opportunistic at first, with the emphasis being on the power that comes from being her partner first and foremost, and any more romantic (or otherwise) partnership being implied as an add-on. It isn’t really clear whether she has any actual feelings for him or not.

“The point is, Percy, you are the real power on this quest. You are a seasoned veteran. I’ve seen what you can do. A son of Neptune wouldn’t be my first choice, but if you return successfully from this mission, the legion might be saved. The praetorship will be yours for the taking. Together, you and I could expand the power of Rome. We could raise an army and find the Doors of Death, crush Gaea’s forces once and for all. You would find me a very helpful… friend.”

She said that word like it could have several meanings, and he could pick which one.

Percy’s feet started tapping on the floor, anxious to run. “Reyna… I’m honored, and all. Seriously. But I’ve got a girlfriend. And I don’t want power, or a praetorship.”

Percy was afraid he’d made her mad. Instead she just raised her eyebrows.

“A man who turns down power?” she said. “That’s not very Roman of you. Just think about it. In four days, I have to make a choice. If we are to fight off an invasion, we must have two strong praetors. I’d prefer you, but if you fail on your quest, or don’t come back, or refuse my offer… Well, I’ll work with Octavian. I mean to save this camp, Percy Jackson. Things are worse than you realize.” (SON 182-183)

Reyna’s giving off a “together we can rule” kind of vibe, though for benevolent purposes. And the emphasis on him not being her first choice necessarily but preferring him to other options, along with the casual way she talks about him possibly failing his quest or not making it back compounds the perception that this isn’t really about Percy personally, and not about any attraction she may or may not have towards him, but just what he can offer as far as strengthening the camp goes.

He could tell the audience was over. Reyna was having trouble holding herself together, keeping up the image of the confident commander. She needed some time by herself.

But at the door of the principia, Percy couldn’t resist turning. “How did we destroy your home – that spa where you lived?”

The metal greyhounds growled. Reyna snapped her fingers to silence them.

“You destroyed the power of our mistress,” she said. “You freed some prisoners who took revenge on all of us who lived on the island. My sister and I… well, we survived. It was difficult. But in the long run, I think we are better off away from that place.”

“Still, I’m sorry,” Percy said. “If I hurt you, I’m sorry.”

Reyna gazed at him for a long time, as if trying to translate his words. “An apology? Not very Roman at all, Percy Jackson. You’d make an interesting praetor. I hope you’ll think about my offer.” (SON 184-185)

The bit about Reyna having trouble holding herself together and keeping up this image shows a crack in her earlier portrayal, that maybe she isn’t quite as... impassive I think? As she appears while making her ‘offer’ to Percy. It does make me wonder though, how much of this portrayal of her during this scene was a deliberately planned part of her character arc since the beginning, and how much was Rick writing this in the early stages and slowly figuring out her character along the way. In later scenes, especially in later books, it seemed like less of a purely pragmatic offer, and more of one with at least some twinges of actual desire behind it, albeit only twinges (not like she knows Percy that well anyway).

She glanced up at the warship. Her expression turned a little wistful. “You say Jason is aboard… I hope that’s true. I’ve missed him.” (SON 512)

Even here, though, at the end of SON, the stalwart commander image she tries to project softens a little, and her closeness with Jason, her desire to see him again, is emphasized. Platonic or romantic, she definitely cares for him.

“Enough,” Reyna snapped. “Annabeth is what she says. She’s here in peace. Besides…” She gave Annabeth a look of grudging respect. “Percy has spoken highly of you.”

The undertones in Reyna’s voice took Annabeth a moment to decipher. Percy looked down, suddenly interested in his cheeseburger.

Annabeth’s face felt hot. Oh gods… Reyna had tried to make a move on Percy. That explained the tinge of bitterness, maybe even envy in her words. Percy had turned her down for Annabeth. (MOA 24)

Here’s where there starts being some pretty strong implications that Reyna did actually care about Percy more personally, her romantic offer was for more than just convenience sake. Especially with the ‘maybe even envy’ part. The bitterness could just as easily be from just the rejection, but the envy implies she actively wants what Annabeth has.

“Uh, Reyna,” Jason said. “if you don’t mind, I’d like to show Piper around before the senate meeting. She’s never seen New Rome.”

Reyna’s expression hardened.

Annabeth wondered how Jason could be so dense. Was it possible he really didn’t understand how much Reyna liked him? It was obvious enough to Annabeth. Asking to show his new girlfriend around Reyna’s city was rubbing salt in a wound.

“Of course,” Reyna said coldly.

Percy took Annabeth’s hand. “Yeah, me too, I’d like to show Annabeth-“

“No,” Reyna snapped.

Percy knit his eyebrows. “Sorry?”

“I’d like a few words with Annabeth,” Reyna said. “Alone. If you don’t mind, my fellow praetor.”

Her tone made it clear she wasn’t really asking permission.

The chill spread down Annabeth’s back. She wondered what Reyna was up to. Maybe the praetor didn’t like the idea of two guys who had rejected her giving their girlfriends tours of her city. Or maybe there was something she wanted to say in private. Either way, Annabeth was reluctant to be alone and unarmed with the Roman leader. (MOA 32)

Reyna did have some things she wanted to go over with Annabeth privately, but with the emphasis on Annabeth being able to tell how much Reyna likes Jason, her reacting coldly to him asking to take Piper around the city, along with the way she snapped at Percy for asking to take Annabeth around instead of stating her refusal more calmly, her reactions strongly suggest that she IS hurting from seeing both Percy and Jason with their girlfriends, that she does have feelings for them somewhat, and is trying to suppress it.

“Long story,” Reyna said. “But I remember you well. You were brave. I’d never seen anyone refuse Circe’s hospitality, much less outwit her. It’s no wonder Percy cares for you.”

Her voice was wistful. Annabeth thought it might be safer not to respond. (MOA 37-38)

I didn’t pull quotations emphasizing this specifically, but Reyna’s loneliness and the strain she’s under as a commander, especially having been the lone praetor for so long, is putting her under a lot of stress. I think at least part of the reason for her hints of envy towards Annabeth and coldness about Jason having a girlfriend, is derived from her not really having had the sort of support that Percy and Jason currently have, that intimacy, that ability to drop the walls and image she’s built up in order to lead and to protect herself.

“I wanted to hear it from you,” Reyna said.

Annabeth turned. “Hear what from me?”

“The truth,” Reyna said. “Convince me I’m not making a mistake by trusting you. Tell me about yourself. Tell me about Camp Half-Blood. Your friend Piper has sorcery in her words. I spent enough time with Circe to know charmspeak when I hear it. I can’t trust what she says. And Jason… well, he has changed. He seems distant, no longer quite Roman.”

The hurt in her voice was as sharp as broken glass. Annabeth wondered if she had sounded that way, all the months she’d been searching for Percy. At least she’d found her boyfriend. Reyna had no one. She was responsible for running an entire camp all by herself. Annabeth could sense that Reyna wanted Jason to love her. But he had disappeared, only to come back with a new girlfriend. Meanwhile, Percy had risen to praetor, but he had rebuffed Reyna too. Now Annabeth had come to take him away. Reyna would be left alone again, shouldering a job meant for two people.

When Annabeth had arrived at Camp Jupiter, she’d been prepared to negotiate with Reyna or even fight her if needed. She hadn’t been prepared to feel sorry for her.

She kept that feeling hidden. Reyna didn’t strike her as someone who would appreciate pity. (MOA 38-39)

The loneliness is really apparent here, and very explicit. I don’t think it’s even really about ‘romantic love’, as far as the whole thing with Jason goes, exactly, but... being that high level of priority. Having someone there for you closely. I think she at least thinks that a romantic relationship with Jason, or even Percy, may provide that. And that’s something most people need, regardless of orientation.

“You see?” Reyna said bitterly. “The spear is thrown. Our people are at war.”

“Not if I succeed,” Annabeth said.

Reyna’s expression looked the same as it had at Camp Jupiter when she realized Jason had found another girl. The praetor was too alone, too bitter and betrayed to believe anything could go right for her ever again. Annabeth waited for her to attack. (MOA 253)

Between this sudden attack out of nowhere, Jason disappearing and returning with having bonded with these new people, especially Piper, and having ‘changed’ as she said, no longer having anyone around she’s close to... well. She’s just managing as best she can.

In the center of the line stood Reyna, her metal dogs Aurum and Argentum at her side. Upon seeing her, Jason felt an incredible pang of guilt. He’d let her believe they had a future together. He had never been in love with her, and he hadn’t led her on exactly… but he also hadn’t shut her down.

He’d disappeared, leaving her to run the camp on her own. (Okay, that hadn’t exactly been Jason’s idea, but still…) Then he had returned to Camp Jupiter with his new girlfriend Piper and a whole bunch of Greek friends in a warship. They’d fired on the Forum and run away, leaving Reyna with a war on her hands. (HOH 247)

I couldn’t find much about Reyna’s relationships with others in HOH since she’s barely in the book. From the looks of things, he’d at least believed that Reyna wanted to be with him actively long-term, something which jives pretty well with previous passages concerning Reyna’s relationship with Jason. Makes me curious how exactly they interacted in the past, what went down between them.

Also more emphasis on Reyna being stressed and on her own. That seems to be pretty heavily associated with anything talking about her love life.

So far in the ancient lands, she’d only seen one place on her wish list: Diocletian’s Palace in Split, and even that visit had hardly gone the way she’d imagined. Reyna used to dream about going there with Jason to admire their favorite emperor’s home. She pictured romantic walks with him through the old city, sunset picnics on the parapets. (BOO 75)

And then comes Blood of Olympus, where we actually get to see Reyna’s perspective, her thoughts, instead of having to infer them from other characters’ perceptions of her. The daydreaming about going on trips with him and explicitly ‘romantic’ walks and picnics seems like she genuinely desired that to some extent. Though I do notice those are pretty cliche desires, so that may also feed into the part of her arc with feeling pressured to perform a certain way, to ‘be’ a certain way, and believing that this is how to find happiness.

She found Thalia’s eyes distracting: electric blue, intense, and alert, so much like Jason’s. (BOO 221)

Just wanted to note this bit, since she’s paying special attention to Thalia here, especially her eyes. Though I’m iffy about this representing attraction to Reyna, since Thalia’s eyes are often commented on (at least in their heads) and a major factor in paying attention to them seems to have to do with them being like Jason’s, which could account for the focus.

The giant’s eyes clicked and dilated. Red laser dots floated across Reyna’s breastplate. “Ah, the young praetor. I admit, I’ve been curious. Before I slay you, perhaps you’ll enlighten me. Why would a child of Rome go to such lengths to help the Greeks? You have forfeited your rank, abandoned your legion, made yourself an outlaw – and for what? Jason Grace scorned you. Percy Jackson refused you. Haven’t you been… what’s the word… dumped enough?”

Reyna’s ears buzzed. She recalled Aphrodite’s warning, two years ago in Charleston: You will not find love where you wish or where you hope. No demigod shall heal your heart.

She forced herself to meet the giant’s gaze. “I don’t define myself by the boys who may or may not like me.” (BOO 238)

It just occurred to me that I really have no clue how Orion knows about Reyna’s love life. Like I know Python can provide some intel, but was that detail REALLY that important?

Anyway, this statement by Reyna, “I don’t define myself by the boys who may or may not like me.”, is an important step in how she relates to romance in general, and in her portrayal in the series, particularly in the Tyrant’s Tomb. Before this a lot of emphasis was placed on her being rejected by Percy and Jason, and of at least somewhat wanting to be with them in some capacity, or at least believing that she did. After this she seems more at peace with herself and less focused on past or present pursuit of relationships for herself.

“Once in Charleston, Venus told me something. She said: You will not find love where you wish or where you hope. No demigod shall heal your heart. I- I have struggled with that for…” Her words broke. (BOO 492)

Near the end of BOO, she finally talks to someone about this. A lot of people know, but... well, with the emphasis on how alone she is, how she has to keep up appearances, it doesn’t seem like she’s really gotten a chance to break down and talk to someone. I’m glad she got to do it with Piper. And this proclamation, this prophecy, the seeming hopelessness of it that appears to re-emphasize her being alone, along with implying that she’s broken in some way with the reference to her needing to be ‘healed’... I can only imagine how it would torment her.

Reyna rolled her eyes. “If I had a denarius for every time I got that question… Aside from the fact that Thalia is in the Hunters, and thus sworn to celibacy… why does a strong friendship always have to progress to romance? Thalia’s an excellent friend. Why would I risk messing that up?” (TTT 228)

By TTT she’s had a lot more time to come to terms with her thoughts and feelings about relationships and romance, plus she’s not alone anymore, though the situation is still dire and stressful. While during HOO her being without support and having to manage everything by herself was interwoven with the narrative about her feelings towards Jason and Percy and her lack of romantic relationships, that’s not present here. In fact, it’s the opposite, with her having a strong friendship and having no desire to turn it into something romantic. It seems like those concepts became unbundled, with her having strong support and friendship unrelated to any romance.

Reyna broke a dry branch off a shrub and flicked it into the underbrush. “I went on that quest with Jason, what, two years ago? Venus took one look at me and decided… I don’t know. I was broken. I needed romantic healing. Whatever. I wasn’t back at camp a full day before the whispering started. Nobody would admit that they knew, but they knew. The looks I got: Oh, poor Reyna. The innocent suggestions I got about who I should date.”

She didn’t sound angry. It was more like weighed down and weary. I remembered Frank Zhang’s concern about how long Reyna had shouldered the burdens of leadership, how he wished he could do more to relieve her. Apparently, a lot of legionnaires wanted to help Reyna. Not all of that had been welcome or useful.

“The thing is,” she continued, “I’m not broken.”

“Of course not.” (TTT 233)

This conception about “being broken” is something aces tend to end up feeling, at least without knowing more about asexuality. I didn’t get it as much since I wasn’t surrounded with as much emphasis on dating and sex as a lot of other people are, so I started figuring out maybe I was different from most other people only awhile after having run across the term; I just figured it was normal to have this attraction thing start up sometime later, like late teens or so, and that I didn’t exactly know what people were talking about anyway so maybe I just didn’t recognize it. By the time I figured out that I probably wasn’t going to develop this “sexual attraction” thing anytime soon I already knew about different sexualities and was able to research the topic to see what best description best fit my own experience. So I’m glad Rick touched on Reyna’s discomfort here. With some of the earlier passages I think she may have come to view herself the same way other people were viewing her, as needing a romantic partner to help her, but now she’s realized that was never really necessary for her; she doesn’t need that in her life.

After this, the whole scene with Lester awkwardly asking Reyna out occurs, and she figures out how ridiculous all this stress over who she should be with is, that it’s not something she needs to force herself to do, to dedicate all this time and energy too.

“My whole life, I’ve been living with other people’s expectations of what I’m supposed to be. Be this. Be that. You know?”

[…]

“But the whole time I’ve been a leader here,” she forged on, “I was looking for a partner. Praetors often partner up. In power. But also romantically, I mean. I thought Jason. Then for a hot minute, Percy Jackson. Gods help me, I even considered Octavian.” She shuddered. “Everybody was always trying to ship me with somebody. Thalia. Jason. Gwen. Even Frank. Oh, you’d be perfect together! That’s who you need! But I was never really sure if I wanted that, or if I just felt like I was supposed to want it. People, well-meaning, would be like, Oh, you poor thing. You deserve somebody in your life. Date him. Date her. Date whoever. Find your soulmate.”

She looked to me to see if I was following. Her words came out hot and fast, as if she’d been holding them in for a long time. “And that meeting with Venus. That really messed me up. No demigod will heal your heart. What was that supposed to mean? Then finally, you came along.”

“Do we have to review that part again? I am quite embarrassed enough.”

“But you showed me. When you proposed dating…”

She took a deep breath, her body shaking with silent giggles. “Oh, gods. I saw how ridiculous I’d been. How ridiculous the whole situation was. That’s what healed my heart – being able to laugh at myself again, at my stupid ideas about destiny. That allowed me to break free – just like Frank broke free of his firewood. I don’t need another person to heal my heart. I don’t need a partner… at least, not until and unless I’m ready on my own terms. I don’t need to be force-shipped with anyone or wear anyone else’s label. For the first time in a long time, I feel like a weight has been lifted from my shoulders. So thank you.” (TTT 405-406)

I understand her confusion here about whether she herself wanted to be with someone, or whether she felt like she should enough that she forced some facsimile of those feelings onto herself. I suspect that there were at least twinges of genuine romantic feelings concerning Jason at least - a lot of the focus around romance is in regards to him, and some of her reactions regarding him appeared to be more instinctual to me, like her reaction to him suggesting showing Piper around the city. Now how strong those feelings really were and whether they’d sync up well with a romantic relationship, I’m not sure. Just because you can imagine a relationship being one way, actually experiencing it you may find it’s not for you, that conceptually it’s appealing but not when actually trying to have one.

She doesn’t seem entirely sure of her own feelings as far as dating someone goes either, but she’s letting go of the idea, of the feeling that she needs to figure it out now. She can just... be.

When I was first trying to figure out what the heck my orientation was, I fretted about it for a bit, trying to analyze my own feelings and compulsions. I thought demisexual or asexual, and as for my romantic orientation... bi perhaps?

Eventually I just... stopped worrying over it. At least all that much. Pretty sure I’m ace, but romantic orientation I’m still unsure of, though I’m currently leaning aro. And even in my twenties, I’m not totally clear on it. And I don’t have to be. Neither does Reyna. If she ends up with feelings for someone, of whatever gender, that’s fine. If she doesn’t, that’s fine too. Maybe she’ll end up changing what she thinks of herself, what she believes her orientation is as she has more experiences. Or maybe she won’t. It’s good either way.

Joining the Hunters decoupled the themes of loneliness, of isolation from HOO with the idea of romantic relationships even more thoroughly. She has that sort of camaraderie with them. She doesn’t need to be strong for them, to be the high leader. She has that support, along with not needing to be responsible for so many people’s welfare and morale anymore, all without any romantic pressure. She can just chill. There’s a reason she regards it as a vacation. And seriously, good for her!

Side note: based on the focus Reyna has on male characters as possibly being viable partners while not seeming to consider any female characters in the same light, even listing Jason, Percy, and Octavian (though I kinda doubt that was romantic) as ones she considered, but listing Thalia, Jason, Gwen, and Frank as people she was shipped with, I suspect that she’s hetero-leaning. It’s hardly conclusive evidence though, headcanon what you like.

#reyna avila ramirez arellano #reyna ramirez arellano #trials of apollo #heroes of olympus #toa #hoo #asexuality #analysis #my analysis

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bdfanfic · 6 years

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From Elsweyr With Love #8

The scrap of paper was gone.

“Damn,” she thought. There had been no where to conceal the gun with this outfit on. She’d left it in the briefcase. She opened the door carefully, looking for tripwires. Inside the lights were off. She always left them on. She turned the switch on now.

She saw a black shape on the couch sit up.

“Would you mind turning it back off,” said a silky feminine voice and Ra’Jirra had to look twice to make sure it came from a khajiit.

“You Romanov?” she asked, but switched the light off anyway.

Two orange eyes glowed back at her from blackness.

“I am. But please, call me Ko’Manir. That other name is just what the humans call me. You could say I’m rediscovering my khajiit ancestry. As for the lights… call me paranoid. I can’t go back again, you see. I’ve burnt my bridges. If someone catches me here I’ll be executed on the spot.”

Ra’Jirra crossed to the mini bar. “Something to drink, Ko’Manir? They keep a good supply here.”

“Yes, please. Something warm. It’s cold in here.”

Her eyes adjusted to the low light quickly. Pouring a couple of drinks was no problem, but when she turned back, the black khajiit remained a dark place on the couch with two glowing eyes hovering. They blinked.

She handed a drink to the blackness. It took it with warm hands.

“Thank you. Yes, that is very good. I suppose you’re wondering about my motivation?”

“Actually, I’m more curious about how you came to work for the Hammerfell Secret Service in the first place.”

“It is a long story,” said the darkness, the eyes closing.

“I’m not going anywhere.”

“Neither am I. I can’t go home anymore. They’ll be looking for me. Can I stay with you?”

“There’s only one bed.”

Slitted eyes opened in the blackness, and for the first time, white fangs accompanied them. “I think that is all we need.”

Ra’Jirra downed her drink. “I… think I’ll have another. You?”

The black khajiit rose and took Ra’Jirra’s glass. “I’ll get it.”

As she crossed in front of the glass window, the moonlight shone through the sheer fabric of Ko’Manir’s dress, revealing the silhouette of an impressive figure under it’s gauzy folds. Ra’Jirra gulped. Obviously she’d been chaste far too long of late. If Ko’Manir was trying to seduce her, it was working too well. She looked away.

“You seem to know quite a bit about me, yet I know nothing about you. So yes, why don’t you tell me your story?”

Ko’Manir returned, handing her refilled drink to Ra’Jirra.

“I was born here in Hammerfell. Not Rihad, mind you, a small northern village. My parents tried to teach me Ta’agra and keep me true to the traditions of the khajiit, but I failed them. I demanded to go to school with the other children. Perhaps I suffered some discrimination there, but what of it? I also had good, good friends there. And I was good at school too. I excelled, you might say, especially at languages. I’ve always been fascinated with them, you see?”

“Except not Ta’agra?”

“Pah. Ta’agra is a gutter language. We limit ourselves needlessly. It’s only advantage is that our mouths form the words easily, but communication requires so much more, you see? And we are not linguistically challenged. We can speak other languages with ease. Yet we burden ourselves with that archaic language, the harsh siblants, the shrill cadence. I speak it just fine, but I choose not to. It is inherently limiting.”

“You’re passionate about it, I see. But go on. So you grew up here, I get it.”

“I did. But my parents did not stay, and I refused to go with them. I was… am… strong willed perhaps? But you, you are the same, no?”

A black paw darkened her arm. Ra’Jirra looked at it, then back at the two glowing eyes. She felt odd. Hot. But she didn’t push her away. “Some have said so. But go on. So you were left alone?”

“Oh no,” said the darkness and it shifted beside her, shoulder to shoulder. “I was not alone! I had friends, and I was nearly an adult by then. But I never left school. I excelled too much to go unnoticed by the professors. Scholarly khajiits are a thing unknown here, but I showed them that we are every bit as intelligent as they, if we try. I did try. And I surpassed them all.”

“So, you basically adopted Hammerfell as your home country?”

“They adopted me! Why should I not do the same? After I exceeded the backwater educators at my school, I was offered a very prestigious position at a government facility where they had me translating texts of all sorts. It was fun work, for a while. But I noticed the texts became less scholarly and more political in nature. They stopped being about history or ancient cultures, and became increasingly more stories from political publications from far and wide. I am not a stupid khajiit, Ra’Jirra. I knew what they were grooming me for. And I approved.”

“A spy?”

“No. I’d call it perhaps espionage, but the publications weren’t secret. At first anyway. But they became so over the years, and I found I was good at decrypting them. All languages have patterns in them, you see. If you can recognize the patterns, deciphering them becomes much easier!”

She was obviously getting into this, Ra’Jirra saw. She was passionate on the subject, and that passion was infectious. While it wasn’t Ra’Jirra’s own expertise, she could appreciate the other’s excitement at the subject. It was another kind of investigation, and any good investigator should feel of thrill of satisfaction when the object of inquiry is achieved.

“So you began to get into decoding,” Ra’Jirra suggested, but she was fascinated by the eyes and the mouth of the dark khajiit. She felt the warm paw moving gently over her thigh.

“And encoding. My superiors sent me to classes at the local university. You’d be amazed how much mathematics gets involved! I certainly was. But I stuck with it. Your dossier on me probably calls me a mid level cryptologist, does it not? But I tell you with complete sincerity that I am the best person they have in the field.”

“You’re also the humblest person I’ve ever met,” Ra’Jirra said, but her hand strayed on top of Ko’Manir’s and followed the long arm up.

“Oh damn. Well, it’s not bragging if you can back it up, right? Sorry, I get carried away when I talk about work. Anyway, I’ll get to the point. In some ways, I am just mid level, if that. They don’t trust me, Ra’Jirra. I’ve never given them one damn reason not to, but they won’t promote me. And I continue to learn. I’ve hit a glass ceiling, Ra’Jirra. And I know why. It’s not because of my sex, it’s because of my race. Well dammit, I know a place I can go where that won’t be a problem!”

“Elsweyr,” Ra’Jirra said, her eyes closing.

“Of course Elsweyr. And I can meet my parents again. They’re retired now, down in Corinthe.”

“Pretty place, Corinthe. Okay, You’ve convinced me. But why did you ask for me?”

“Haven’t you guessed by now?” Ko’Manir said, leaning close. “Ra’Jirra… you’re my hero.”

Ra’Jirra felt a the soft hand slip under her dress at the shoulder. It felt unbelievably good.

“I’ve read a lot about you, Ra’Jirra. More than just the obvious publications too. I began to seek out all I could. You’re a khajiit that has risen to prominence, if only to those few who know of such things.”

“Romanov…” Ra’Jirra said huskily. She found herself wanting this more than she’d ever wanted anything in her life. And yet, something bothered her. Something seemed wrong. But she couldn’t think straight, and she really didn’t care.

“‘Call me Ko’Manir’, please,” said the darkness.

“Liski... ahziss boqi” Ra’Jirra said, closing her eyes and opening her mouth. Another tongue found hers and she lay back against the couch, a warm darkness enveloping her.

“There are times, I must admit...” Ko’Manir said as she drew Ra’Jirra’s dress up over her head, “...when Ta’agra works best.”

And then the talking stopped. They retired to the bedroom shortly afterwards.

**********************************

“Did you get it all?” La’Dasha asked the Altmer.

He smiled back at her. “Every bit.”

The device he called a ‘camera’ was ingenious, though magical in origin.

“We are working with our best alchemists to devise a non-magical method, but for now this is all we can do,” he’d told her when he had arrived two days ago.

“Anything the lens sees will be recorded onto a scroll visibly. For longer recordings, we simply load in a longer scroll.”

“And your magic is sufficient?”

“We Altmer are the last to be able to retain the required mana, but yes. My stores will be quite sufficient for your needs.”

“They’d better be. We need this scroll. It will make a laughing stock of her. Why she hasn’t been arrested already, I don’t know.”

“Be careful, La’Dasha. You know I outrank you,” said the Altmer.

“Oh. Yes. Sorry. I just need to make sure this goes as planned.”

The Altmer shut down the camera and moved a lever.

“It’s over now. She’s fallen asleep.”

“Let me see!” La’Dasha demanded, and the Altmer drew a long scroll, tightly wound, from a spindle.

La’Dasha unrolled it and scanned the sequential images on it.

“Oh… Oh gods!”

“Yes, she’s quite the tiger, your little khajiit.”

“Wait… is that what I think it is?”

“What? Let me see…” said the Altmer, curious. “Oh yes, indeed it’s just what it looks like. The dark one has proven to be surprisingly adventurous for a desk agent!”

“This is better than I’d ever dreamed,” La’Dasha grinned.

“It… should suffice,” the Altmer said, taking the scroll back and placing it into a tube, then sealing the tube and handing it back to La’Dasha.

“My work here is done. I’ll be going. I find that outside of this hotel the environment is not to my liking. But La’Dasha.”

She looked up from the tube, wondering if she should risk viewing the whole thing when she was in private. But then she’d just end up hungry. “Yes?”

“You are aware, are you not, that the Dominion has… other such scrolls?”

“What do you mean?”

“You didn’t think we would risk this opportunity on an untested device, surely? But I’m happy to report that the test went flawlessly. Your scroll is on it’s way back to headquarters now.”

“My?... what?” Then she realized what he was saying.

“Oh yes. I don’t know, but I suspect that between the two recordings, yours was perhaps a bit more… deviant shall we say? But do not trouble yourself about that. I’m sure it will only be used to entertain some of our higher ranking officials. I hope to see you again soon, La’Dasha. Goodbye.”

And with that the Altmer packed up his gear and left her room - the room stationed directly below the penthouse suite in fact.

La’Dasha seethed. If they thought that recording her was going to work as blackmail, though, they were sorely mistaken.

**********************************************

#prequel adventure #crossover #ra'jirra #rajirra #khajiit #spy

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ayzrules · 6 years

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NPC Name: Elena Pavaloska

FC: Vlada Roslyakova

Special Role: N/A (shopkeeper)

Age: 32

Occupation: Florist, environmental activist, tutor, co-chair of the Morrow Environmental Awareness Association, and kickss stay-at-home-mom (wants to return to her previous position in a research facility after her kids have gone to college)

Personality:

+Kind, caring, and friendly-Elena is, overall, just a nice person. She's very friendly and always down for striking up conversations with strangers. She genuinely cares about the wellbeing of others, and she will 100% be willing to listen to your problems and offer her advice if she can.

+Reliable-If Elena says that she will do something, then she'll get it done. Period. She is also as constant and as bright as the sun-always there with a bright smile on her face, no matter what.

+Organized-Elena is a total neat freak, something that her husband and children don't always appreciate. With Elena, everything has its proper place-and as a result, she can find even the most obscure of objects in a cluttered (but organized!) closet with only a moment's hesitation.

+Practical-Elena is a very grounded, down-to-earth person. She always has an elegant solution to everyday problems to the everyday problems that pop up, be they as trivial as a bad hair day (there's nothing that a snazzy hat and a bit of hair-spray can't fix!) or as colossal as anthropogenic climate change (a bit harder to fix, admittedly, but Elena firmly believes that everything starts at an individual level-carpool and ride those bikes, people!)

+Sympathetic and empathetic-Elena will always "feel" for people, and she's very understanding and nonjudgmental. She firmly believes that everyone has their own story, and that everyone deserves a chance.

+Cheerful, optimistic, and welcoming-Elena is the type of person to always look on the bright side. She will always welcome others with open arms, and she takes joy in the simple things in life.

-/+Very forgiving-Elena tends to view all people as inherently good, and she is extremely quick to forgive and forget.

-/+Generous-Elena is always willing to give to others, and she is full of generosity. Her husband, for one, doesn't like that she always gives people stuff for free.

-Gullible-Elena will believe any sob story she hears. She can be a bit naive and more trusting of others than she should be. So far, this hasn't landed her in much trouble (she lives in one of the wealthier areas), but in a city like Morrow, being too trusting could have serious consequences.

-A worrywart-Elena worries about /everything/. As such, she is always ten minutes early to everything, and her handbag is filled with everything from Kleenex to a collapsible umbrella.

-Bossy-Elena is a bit of a control freak, and this can make her come off as bossy sometimes. Of course, she is always exceedingly nice about bossing people around, but the fact remains that she can be quite controlling. She's not a perfectionist-she's much too laid back to be one-but she's getting pretty dam.n close.

-Constantly busy-Elena tends to overextend herself and overestimate her own capabilities. It's perfectly reasonable to tutor elementary schoolers in science, volunteer at the animal shelter, give a presentation at a Morrow Environmental Awareness Association meeting, run her flower shop and cafe, tend to her garden, ferry her kids to and from school, and have dinner on the table by the time her husband comes home all in one day, right?

(tl;dr she's basically /that/ girl in school who's involved in every club and is the president of half a dozen organizations who's annoyingly cheerful and peppy all the time)

Short Bio: Originally from Russia, Elena attended Morrow University and majored in botany and environmental science. Her husband, Alexei Pavaloska, went to college in Spain, though he was born and raised in Morrow. Elena met Alexei while he was visiting his friends at Morrow University during one of his breaks.

The two eventually got married and settled down after both of them had completed grad school. Alexei became a Spanish professor at Morrow University, and Elena found a research position at the university, though she decided to quit that job after she had her second child.

Speaking of children-Elena and Alexei have two daughters and a son. Their oldest daughter, Natalia (usually referred to as "Nat"), is ten years old. Their son, Nicolas (usually referred to as "Nick"), is seven, and their youngest daughter, Natasha (usually referred to as "Tasha", so as to avoid confusion with Natalia), is five. All three of them attend an elementary school only a couple blocks away from their home (though Elena /insists/ that either she or Alexei walk them there and back every day, much to her entire family's chagrin).

After Elena had Nick, she decided that she wanted to open a flower shop (with a cute little cafe inside of it as well, of course), just to give her something to do besides waiting for her children to get out of school. Elena has always had a green thumb of sorts, and she supplemented her supply of flowers (which she always ascertained were grown without fertilizers and pesticides that would harm the environment and the exploitation of workers in places like Colombia) with flowers that she'd cared for herself in the small garden behind the building. Elena currently lives with her husband and children in an apartment above the shop.

Elena is also very active as an environmental activist and spokesperson in her community. She is the co-chair of the Morrow Environmental Awareness Association (a friend of her husband's is co-chair alongside her) and frequently organizes presentations, events, and volunteer operations. Finally, she volunteers as a tutor at the public library, tutoring students in Russian and the life sciences.

Connection to the magical side of Morrow or to your character:

Elena met Verdínqa for the first time when she found her reverently stroking the petals of a peony. Upon further inspection, Elena realized that those specific peonies were the ones she'd noticed were wilting a couple days ago-yet they were now colorful and vibrant and more alive than they had ever been before.

Fishing the story out of Verdínqa was a bit awkward, at first-what Elena managed to piece together was that Verdínqa had noticed the flowers were wilting and had cared for them while Elena was away. Elena was still puzzled, but she accepted the vague explanation (which was half in Spanish and some other unintelligible languages; Verdínqa unknowingly switches tongues quite frequently, Elena has found) and invited Verdínqa in for coffee.

(More cautious people would have wondered why this woman with tangled hair and bare feet and a dirt-streaked face was even in that part of Morrow. Elena didn't question it.)

Elena and Alexei have managed to decipher that Verdínqa is not homeless (even though she looks like she could be)-she lives near the docks-that she is originally from "the Amazon Rainforest" (Elena and Alexei believe that she has indigenous ancestry and was born in Peru), and that she is /very/ good with plants. Natalia, the oldest child, was the first to discover that Verdínqa isn't fully, well, /human/ after she made a sapling grow into a mature tree in less than ten seconds. Natalia has tried to hide this fact from her parents-she believes that they, being adults, would immediately try to report this to the police, thereby causing Verdínqa to be taken away or locked up (Natalia's in a comic-book-superhero-phase right now). Although the secret has been shared with Nicolas and Natasha, Elena and Alexei do not know...yet.

Verdínqa frequently visits the Pavaloska's flower shop and apartment. She's stayed over for meals before, and although Elena and Alexei always offer her a place in their home (and a shower, and new clothes, and money, and perhaps a job), Verdínqa always shrugs her shoulders noncommittally with a faraway look in her eyes and drifts off before they can ask again.

How much do they know about the magical aspects of Morrow? Do they favor a faction?

Elena and her family remain blissfully unaware of the magical aspects of Morrow, mostly because Verdínqa isn't the best at expressing herself clearly (and she doesn't really keep up with the going-ons of other magical beings, either). Only the children know that Verdínqa is more than human, but being the children they are, they don't really question it.

Greatest wish?

To somehow, with all the might of middle-aged stay-at-home moms, stop (or at least /slow/) anthropogenic changes to the environment. Also for her kids to grow up into happy, healthy, and successful adults who don't have to worry about BS like contaminated water and polluted air. Oh, and add on finding a good vegan substitute for honey.

Greatest fear?

That something will happen to her husband or kids (or Verdínqa, who is basically a kid, anyway)

#my art #verdinqa

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eveshappyplace · 4 years

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Considerate vs Fake Friends

The difference between real friends and fake friends

Friends come and go, for most that is hard to accept. The reasoning is simple, so new friends can enter your life who have a purpose in the current chapter of your life. Some might think that all their current friends are their friends for life, turns out that is wrong, you will have many friends that come and go. If you are lucky, you have your best friend that you've known and continued to hang out with since kindergarten. During the many stages of life, you meet great people that influence you to be better, and some people that you think are great but in reality, are a bad influence on you. When you are little about 4 to 11 years old, you think everyone is your friend and you get along with everyone which is great. When middle school starts that is when situations start to change, friends drift apart and you find new friends and start to notice who your real friends are. The transition between friendships goes on throughout life and a majority of friendships end after highschool because after all, some friendships are formed entirely because of school. Friends are hard to let go of depending on the situation and that is completely understandable. (Fair warning I’m going to start ranting!!)

Considerate Friends

I referenced knowing your best friend since kindergarten. I’ve known my best friend for about 14 years, I don’t remember exactly when we met but our mothers have told us the story of how we met in a dance class at about 4 years old. To be truthful, both my best friend and I can both say that we will don’t remember much of the dance class, just being in the same first-grade class a couple of years later. We were also in the same third-grade class and then after that was history pretty much. All the memories we've made together, during our school days as well as the time since being graduated from highschool. My favorite memories start when we met in first grade, between first grade and sixth grade I was a cheerleader and my best friend joined me in cheer around 4th grade. We never made varsity but we sure made many memories. I enjoyed the routines we had but I don’t remember them too well anymore. It’s an underestimation how much we love sushi and coffee, not at the same time but still. We would get endless amounts of sushi before binge-watching shows on Netflix and hours of Youtube videos about abandoned places. We’ve gone to many festivals together and even went on a few day trips together such as Six Flags and her first time going to Olive Garden. Also, we went to Woodfield Mall a couple of times and we need to go again soon. We’ve started a podcast together as well, involving: trending internet topics, history, and music.

I met another best friend of mine in 5th grade, we met in Girl Scouts and she was a year behind me in school, she was extremely shy when we first met but after 7 and a half years, that has all changed. We’ve been through so much in 7 years and always found our way back to each other. My favorite memories start when we were little, I still have a majority of our old pictures together. One memory that sticks out from the rest besides meeting, would be playing Minecraft on our phones and building forts together; in fact, we still to this day make forts because we enjoy it. I do wish that we had our old Minecraft worlds stored somewhere, hopefully, her old iPad still has them. I asked her about her favorite memory of us together, she told me it was when we first met, and when I showed her Minecraft for the first time. This is a bit embarrassing to admit but I had an obsession with Minecraft sheep, it was more of an inside joke with her than anything. I’m over the obsession part but still to this day it’s an inside joke and we still joke about it, even now she asks if I’ve found a black-colored sheep. We’ve gone to a few festivals together in town but not too many. We haven’t hung out much recently because of life but I still speak with her often. She’s never switched up on me but we’ve had times where we talk to each other less, it’s never intentional but it just happens. I included below in fake friends about one of her toxic friends she had.

I met another friend in 5th grade as well although we didn’t become close until around 6th grade I believe. I started to often spend time with her in 7th grade, we didn’t see each other much because of distance between houses and usually she was busy which I understood. We talked often in between visits and at school when we could. My favorite memory with her is probably going to see Star Wars: The Force Awakens on New Years Day and also the Fall Festival here in town. We haven’t gone to many places together recently but we did hang out at my house.

Fake Friends

These friends I speak of above. They mean so much to me I could go on forever about each one but like everyone else I’ve had fake friends too. Two in particular have stood out in my past. I met both of them when I was young. Around 10 years old I met them both but at different times. Both of them were good friends until then end when they decided to show their true colors.

The first one in particular I could tell you everything she accused me of but when she asked if she needed to keep going with reasons we aren’t friends anymore, I let it go and didn't text her anymore. I didn’t care. Most of what she accused me of i don’t remember it being how she put it. I have a different phone now from when I last messaged her but I’ll include a couple of the major ones.

She said I forced her to buy me a birthday gift when she “had no money”. What really happened is, I said “It would be nice if you did but you don't have to since I understand you are low on funds”

I had plans one day and the same day, she asked to hang out so immediately I informed her I had errands to do and mom and I might go to lunch as well, she didn’t seem bothered by it. Later she tells me I “forced” her to pay with money she didn't have.

The second one is a bit different than the previous friend but still, I am sure there are some similarities. Also like the previous friend she was a good friend until the end when she showed her true colors. What stands out to me about her is that she was so shy and kept to herself quite often. Years later when we met up again, (because of schedules and excuses) I at first was so happy I got to finally spend time with her in person after so long, but years later things had obviously changed. She still was nice but I could tell she acted differently from the last time I saw her, she had changed so much which I was proud of until I realized she started to not take my advice, didn’t listen to me and ignored my ideas. First couple days she stayed with me it was nice and we painted our nails and watched movies. The leftover days she stayed, she slept, I didn’t think much of it until the next time she came over, same thing happened. She was thankful she got to spend time with me but when my mom and I dropped her off she showed absolutely no emotion and didn’t text me again saying she had a good time, she went on to ignore me for the next 3 days or so. I pondered over the long conversations we had with my mother about her past and within that time the friend seemed to listen but who knows if she truly took my mother’s advice. I’ll never know. As I type this she’s taken care of a few important things but it will take a while for her to earn my trust back, maybe not even at all. She supposedly thinks the world of me but yet she’s lied and left out so much about her life that I didn’t know what to believe anymore.

The important point about fake/toxic friends is most of the time you can spot it from a mile away but not so much when they have such seemingly good intentions at first, it’s sometimes hard to decipher whether or not they are truly a toxic friend.

I’d like to include another story that is not mine but I got permission to write it here. My friend who I met in 5th grade during Girl Scouts whom is on the considerate side, had a toxic friend and she said I could include her story too. My friend had switched schools because of her situation which I had no problem with, she made a few friends and I was super happy for her! Although this one friend of hers in particular she did EVERYTHING with, which is true, I’m not jealous or anything she would agree that they did a lot together. Anyway, she came to me and said: “She’s insulting me”, so I stepped in and asked why the friend did such a thing. She was more specific and said the friend insulted things she did such as hang out with friends other than her. My friend had said also that it was like her friend was trying to take her away from her family, because she spent so much time with her friends family versus her own. She was selfish in such a way that she would sabotage the relationships my friend had with her other friends and family. Additionally, the friend influenced my friend in many unnecessary situations, such as smearing tuna in someone's car.

I 100% realize I turned an informative article into a rant, but for me I’d rather describe what I experience so people understand the difference between considerate versus fake friends.

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curealkira · 4 years

Text

Be My Princess Fanfiction: Under the Stars Part 1

The theme of stargazing was suggested by my friend, Laur (my little hidden nickname for her ;) ). The image was made by me. You can find it on DeviantArt under the username Neru-chan95.

Wattpad link: https://www.wattpad.com/user/KiraChan2

I only own my OC, Rana. And the plot of this story. Joshua, Jan, and anything else associated with Be My Princess belongs to Voltage Inc.

Please enjoy.

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Joshua: "That woman is late again! It's far past the scheduled time! This is going too far!!"

Unbelievable...this is just ridiculous! Regardless of the reason, she is staying at the manor, her behavior is going too far.

Joshua: "She was supposed to be here for her night class session, 8:00 PM sharp and yet again she is late! By an hour no less!!"

She should be honored that I am leaving time away from my own work to be teaching her things that a prince shouldn't! Does this woman not understand her position?!

How much I wish I could take back my oath. And yet, I couldn't. Afterall...I promised Lord Michel, who for some reason was fond of this clueless foreign woman, who hardly much of any background. The promise I made to him...that I would train this commoner to master the simplest of the English language, as well as basic manners and common knowledge.

Honestly, regardless of wherever the hell she was from, at the very least she should have been taught these basic skills! Just how sheltered is this woman!?

The more I think about the events leading up to this point, as well as the woman in question, my frustration was elevated to the point that I can't even focus on my own work, which is utterly inappropriate for the Crown Prince of DresVans. I could almost barely hear Jan's words in the midst of my anger.

Jan: "Y-Your Highness. Please remain calm. Surely she will turn up. Please don't worry-"

Joshua: "Turn up my foot! Just how many times this woman has wandered off outside of the manor, and far beyond schedule no less! And worry!? Why on earth should I bother to worry for a commoner, an ignorant one no less with no common sense!"

I am not worried! Rather, I was beyond frustrated. Why did I put myself to this! Am I a babysitter for someone who is already a grown adult and should know how to take care of herself!?

Once again, I was barely paying any attention as I was caught up in my rage. It wasn't until I noticed Jan's expression as he was observing me. I do not like that smirk of his. Whatever he was thinking, I likely know that I will not enjoy hearing it.

Jan: "Surely you don't mean that your highness. After all, despite what emotions you have been expressing about her for the past few days, you seem to have been feeling worried for her in your own form."

I figured he was going to say something like that...and how wrong he is. I naturally frown in disappointment with his evaluation.

Joshua: "Care to enlighten me on that deluded assumption?"

Jan seems to be taking his time to formulate his words. Eventually, he opened his mouth to speak.

Jan: "...Forgive me for being presumptuous, Your Highness, however...based on how I have been observing your actions and behaviors....I truly believe you have come to worry for her...maybe even care for her."

He paused again, probably trying to form his words carefully.

Jan: "While it is understandable of your frustrations...I think it is also important to remind ourselves that Miss Rana is not familiar with any of the customs and cultures that she has been physically exposed as well as with the common language. Furthermore, she probably seems quite wary of her surroundings. I think she has not fully gained the trust of others, especially since the very two people whom she is most comfortable around are not with her at present. I know Your Highness wishes to have Miss Rana master your teachings as quickly as possible...but I also think giving her time and gaining a sense of understanding is just as important."

Jan is hardly this much talkative. And he is being oddly supportive of this woman. I know Jan is not one to be biased, but I can't help but feel a bit betrayed by his words. It's as if he knows something and isn't telling me.

Joshua: "What on earth are you hi-"

Suddenly Jan's phone started to ring as he answered it.

Jan: "She has returned? Thank you. Yes, I will let his Highne-..ah please wait a moment, Your Highness!"

That was enough for me to know what that discussion was about and I immediately got out of my chair and out of my office to make my way to where the trouble-making woman was.

If she is willing to go against the rules of her planned schedule, then she should have time to be lectured. She had the nerve to be rebellious.

Joshua: "If she dared involved her in such inappropriate activities, then she...!"

For a moment I stopped myself. Just what on earth is going on in my head? Why am I reacting this much to a measly commoner? It's not my problem or business of she does. I am only mad about her disregard for her planned schedule. She was the one who said she wanted to learn.

Joshua: "This woman is just introducing more headaches. Forget it, it's not my responsibility. If she doesn't want to learn, then it's her problem."

I was about to turn back towards the direction of my office until I heart fast, but familiar-sounding rushing footsteps. Great...just great....

Rana: "Ah! He thehr (there)! Parence Johshah! (Prince Joshua) Wait! Wait! No go!!"

I resign myself to my fate as I looked back to see the very woman that I have been frustrated over running towards me. But what the heck? One, she is covered in leaves, grass, and.....flowers? Two, she hardly looked panicked, especially when she looked up at me with excitement and enthusiasm.

Did...did this woman forgot why she is even here in the first place. Again, for the third time this night, my internal rage was building up as I looked at her with displeasure ...something she either caught but disregarded or was clueless about.

Rana: "Good I couht (caught) Parence! I found it! To give you!"

Her English barely improved. It was so abysmal that it was taking almost all the mental energy that I could have used for my work and instead had to use it to decipher her poor grammar and pronunciation. It wasn't bad enough that this annoyed me, but that my own disbelief was triggered when she held out flowers to me.

Rana: "For Parence!! Please ahcksept (accept)! It vahry (very) impohtahnt (important)!"

This...This was what she had been spending her time away from her lessons and coming back late!? To pick some unrefined weeds to gift to me!? Does she know no shame!? Or remorse for her irresponsibility!?

I was far beyond my boiling point as I did something I didn't know I would regret much later as I slapped the flowers out of her hand...leaving trails and showers of the damaged petals on the floor.

What now remains right in front of me was the utter shock and horror on the woman's face. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Part 1 End

Thank you for reading. Please look forward to the second half of the short story.

Also, I should have added but well forgot to mention...my OC is a foreigner and the story itself expresses that she is not good with English. I just thought I explain that. ^.^

#Be My Princess #Fanfiction #OC #Joshua #Jan #Dres Vans #Friendship?#Romance?#Fluff?#Voltage Inc

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