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coreastories · 4 years

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The Heartbeat

AO3: Part 14 of Days and Nights of Forever

One dark day for Corea, one terrifying day for Gon and Tae-eul, but life goes on.

When it's fate, there are no coincidences.

Directly follows

Corea News: The queen of Corea stuns in London and

Corea News: A dark day for Corea

I’m so sorry. When I dropped A Dark Day for Corea last Friday, I meant to get this done the next day and not prolong the suspense. But I underestimated it. Sunday came and went and I wasn’t done.

I spent all weekend finishing this so I couldn’t reply to you guys either. I mean, what could I say to you all wailing at me except that I’m writing, which I should DO, not say, right?

So here it is. 11,000 words. Let me know what you think! I hope you enjoy.

With thanks to @collectsfallenstars and @pateetsie for support and threats and encouragements and threats and confidence and threats and all the love and swearing at me.

November was more beautiful in Corea. Perhaps it was unfair to make the comparison because Corea just happened to be closer to the tropics, closer to the sun, farther from the frozen winds of the north, but she couldn’t help it, even if she did have one sunny day in London and that was considered lucky, Elizabeth had told her, especially in November!

No, lucky was living in this beautiful country, coming home to her husband, and with the view of all these red and gold trees outside the car window.

And she had breakfast ready when she got home. She grinned. She thought about calling Gon again but he was probably busy cooking, and she didn't want him to time her arrival. She'd already ruined her own surprise by giving in and calling him earlier.

“Jangmi, did you tell your omma we’re home?”

“Ye, Mama. And she says she’s got cheonggukjang ready for us.”

Both Tae-Eul and In-Yeong said, “Oh my God.” They laughed. Jangmi’s mother’s cheonggukjang was a hit among the guards-- and the king and queen.

And after days of British food, chonggukjang would be heavenly.

“Don’t tell Ho-pil until we’ve all had some,” said In-yeong. “I don’t know how he makes it disappear so fast. Maybe he has a black hole in his stomach and he just pours it in.”

They were still laughing when Tae-Eul saw it. The other car.

It was barrelling through the left of the intersection too fast. Too fast to make the turn it should make.

And then, in contrast to that speeding car, everything else went slow.

In this slower time, Tae-Eul recognized several things.

One: Jangmi was a good defensive driver and had already slowed and stopped the car.

Two: The other car could have crossed the road, perhaps grazing their front bumper, but it could have gone past all the same.

Three: The driver of the other car was too senseless to see the opportunity Jangmi provided to avoid collision. In the grip of panic and trying to control his car, Tae-eul saw him wrenching at the steering wheel with both arms in a mindless attempt to make his turn. Even though it was too late. Even though there was no room.

Four: At that speed, at that trajectory, the other car would nosedive into the side of their car.

Tae-Eul laid both arms across her lower belly and prayed to God and the fate that brought her here. Was lashing out praying? Because she lashed out in shock and anger that this would happen to her, to Gon, their child.

Maybe God heard her, or maybe it was her mind playing tricks to help her cope-- the crash was deafening but it was like a gentle rocking when it came.

It was what happened after that was terrifying.

Tae-Eul felt her seatbelt simultaneously loosen and tighten around her. For half a second, she was buffeted bodily against nothing but air before she felt secure again. There was a terrible noise like thunder right inside her ears and something slammed onto her face, stunning as a well-placed uppercut.

She was blinded and her eyes burned.

She tried to see what had happened to Jangmi and In-Yeong but she cried out at the pain and shut her eyes tight and kept both arms over her pelvis. A firebrand shot through her left shoulder and she cried out again but she kept her arms where they were.

That was when she prayed. With her eyes watering and burning and her ears ringing, she begged to be safe.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

“How are you? It’s not too cold?”

“No. Or maybe I’m just hot. Go back to sleep. I’m going to bed, too.”

“Have you had anything to eat?”

“I had ban-ban on the plane. Go to sleep. I’ll call you when I wake up. Saranghae.”

“Saranghae.”

----------------------------------------------------------------------

“I loved the music and the story but I was honestly so sleepy. It lasted more than two hours. In-yeong had to poke me several times. I lost count after the sixth one. Stop laughing. I bet you fall asleep watching it before it even gets good.”

“Go to sleep. I’ll call you again on your morning.”

“What are you making for your breakfast?”

“Nothing special. Just eggs and tofu and I have kaktugi.”

“Mmmm. I miss that.”

“I miss you. Go to sleep.”

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

“Don’t worry so much. Just think of her as any old ahjumma.”

“Are you crazy? She’s the queen.”

“No, she’s not. Not to me. Not to the kingdom missing you. You’re the queen here. She’s a queen. You’re a queen. You’re equals.”

“I’m wrinkling my nose at that but I miss you. You should have come with me.”

“You said--”

“What do you want me to bring you?”

“Nothing. Just come home.”

"How cheesy."

---------------------------------------------------------------------

“How was the food?”

“Quite good. I’ve had Angus roast, fish and chips, a full English breakfast-- the sausages here are good, maybe I can bring some-- scones and clotted cream-- I need you or the cooks to learn to make that-- cottage pie, shepherd’s pie, crumpets, and this thing they call Welsh rarebit? It’s cheese and toast. And I loved the vegetables in my salads.

“And the milk and cream here--I think it tastes a little bit like Corea’s. It’s so creamy and delicately sweet.

“I love their chocolate. Cadbury’s. I think we have it at home, right? Should I order more?

“I forgot to tell you-- I almost drank alcohol at brunch when they sent more dishes and apple cider to our table with the chef’s compliments. In-Yeong thought it was juice too. They forgot I was pregnant. I was taking a sip and it didn’t smell and taste like alcohol but Elizabeth took my glass and told me it can be quite strong here.

“I can’t wait to eat ramyeon, though. And ban-ban. I’ll have them when I’m on the plane. What are you laughing at?”

“You talked for five minutes about food.”

“That wasn’t five minutes!”

“I love you. I miss you so much. I’ll see you in… sixteen hours.”

“I can’t wait.”

“To see me? Or for ban-ban and ramyeon?”

“Take a guess.”

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

“I’m here.”

“What?”

“I flew earlier. I wanted to surprise you. I’ll just drive over. Jangmi was on the phone with Yeong long before we landed so I’m sure they’ve arranged things for the escort.”

“But I was going to pick you up-- all right. I’ll see you here, then. Do you want breakfast?”

“Oh do I! I want everything. I want moo saengchae and galbi and my mouth is watering and I can’t talk anymore. Stop laughing.”

“I’ll make everything. Saranghae.”

“Nado saranghae.”

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Gon clung to her voice in his head while everything else seemed to ring and clamor in an infuriating barrage of noise.

He had been talking to her less than an hour ago.

Less than an hour ago, his only thought had been kissing his wife, making breakfast, and holding his wife, his queen, the mother of his child, the best part of his life.

Now he couldn’t get enough air. His mouth was dry and he felt like he’d be violently ill. His hands were fists on his knees and he resisted the urge to thump something.

He prayed. He listened to her voice from their last conversations together and he prayed. He sat there in the back of his car and prayed as they sped to the hospital. He begged that they weren't his last conversations with her. Begged for her safety. Her safety was his child’s. Both of them had to be safe. He begged to hear that voice again soon. Now.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Yeong sat in the front seat and tried not to let his brain spirale. He needed facts, not speculations and imaginings. In his ear, he could hear his team as they kept him up to date on every minute detail. Everyone was his eyes and ears. Yeong listened and tried to stay in the present, not any horrendous future. He was trained to look ten steps ahead. But it was difficult in this case. His brain refused to catalogue the unthinkable.

The king was quiet in the back seat, still as pale as when Yeong first told him what had happened.

The queen was supposed to arrive at ten this morning. Yeong already had plans in place for the escort going to the airport and back, because the king wanted to pick up the queen.

Nine am and the PA office would have given word to the media whether or not the press could gather at the airport. Yeong had already coordinated with the airport authority for traffic and crowd control as a contingency.

He would have received a brief from the PA office and given a brief to the teams at eight-thirty.

Before seven o’clock, his phone rang. Jangmi told him the queen’s jet was already approaching Corean airspace and the early arrival was supposed to be a surprise for the king. It was testament to how much Yeong had changed-- or how much he had gotten used to the king and queen anyway-- that he didn’t even sigh. He just ended the call, made another, and deployed Ho-pil’s team to the airport in their SUVs.

At eight o’clock, Ho-Pil called him.

“Seonsaengnim. Code Orange. Collision with civilian vehicle. The queen seems to not have major external trauma. No... bleeding. En route to CorGen now. Civilian in custody. Also en route to CorGen under escort. Jang and Park also injured. En route to CorGen.”

A pause. Yeong couldn’t speak and Ho-pil seemed to be catching his breath. And Yeong stupidly waited for the punchline. That he was being pranked. Dumb and dangerous prank, but a prank all the same. But all Ho-pil said next was, “Captain, that fucker was fucking soused. I could smell him when they loaded him on the ambulance. I wish I could kill him.”

Yeong closed his eyes and tried not to close both fists. Wouldn’t do to break his phone right now. “You said she’s not bleeding?” They both knew the significance of what he meant.

“No. But after examining her for a bit, they sedated her. They said it was because she couldn’t breathe properly and her heart was already working too hard, which would be bad for both of them. She has a bad friction burn on her left cheek from the airbag. The other windows all held except Jangmi's so the queen didn’t have lacerations. In-Yeong broke her wrist. And Jangmi took a real beating. When they were getting him out, they were so careful, but he still cried out. Never heard him make that noise before. And they both couldn’t hear me, Captain.”

Yeong took a deep breath. Ho-pil’s report gave him information and time enough to get back his wits and his sense of duty. It was his queen, not his friend. Not his best friend’s wife. And he had to go tell his king, not his best friend.

“CorGen knows to keep quiet when it’s the royal family. And they know protocol. Don’t let her out of your sight.”

“Yes, Seonsaengnim. And the EMTs already called Seonsaeng Chae. I’ll call you with updates if you don’t join us first.”

Yeong hung up. He must have drooped during the call because he realized he had to square his shoulders as he went to find the king. He was almost relieved when the king wasn’t in his suite. To make things simple, he asked the control tower where the king had gone. With the queen away, he could be anywhere.

The control tower answered quickly: The kitchen.

Right. Of course. The queen had probably already called him.

When he entered the kitchen, the king was laying a slab of meat on the grill pan.

“Yeong-ah. We don’t need to leave. She’s already on her wa--”

One look at Yeong’s face and the king stopped talking. In quick, efficient movements, the king turned everything off, wiped his hands on a towel, and rounded the counter. “What happened?” His voice was clipped and dangerous.

Yeong told him. He saw the color drain from the king’s face with every word.

And then there wasn’t really anything else to say other than, “The car’s ready.”

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

CorGen was used to VIPs. This hospital was where high society wanted to be treated. They had six VIP rooms and these went to ministers and their families, athletes, actors, chaebol owners, heirs and executives.

Royalty was a different level altogether. With the queen pregnant and seeing a CorGen doctor, they’ve opened the seventh VIP room. It was reserved for the royal family, always had been since the hospital opened, but the king had never used it yet in his lifetime.

While the hospital preened at the prestige of opening VIP 7 at last, no one had imagined VIP 7 would ever be needed yet.

Because the queen was only at fifteen weeks.

So when the full force of the Royal Guard arrived at the ER, there was a momentary stupefaction as if everyone was waiting for someone to tell them what to do, or to tell them it was just a tasteless, dangerous joke: it couldn’t really be the queen in that gurney.

Song-eun, arriving at the ER to attend to the queen, saw that freeze. She had frozen herself. She didn’t realize she’d stopped breathing until she exhaled when she saw the queen wasn’t bleeding. She had expected the worst.

And then everyone moved in sync.

They wheeled the queen straight to the prepared trauma room and surrounded her while the EMT and residents rattled off vitals and conditions. Airway and breathing good. Hypotensive because of vasodilation, CO at 45% higher than normal, right, they would fix that. The queen was already on oxygen and fluids. Pulse ox was stabilizing.

“Mama, I’m here. You’re with me,” Song-eun said to Tae-eul, this queen who had made Song-eun a friend, a sister. “I’m going to take care of you and the little bean.”

Sok-jun joined her with two other attendings--neuro and trauma--and they all rattled off directions to their residents and interns. One of them took samples for the trauma panel and the KB test while Song-eun assessed the queen.

“Mama, I’m going to perform a pelvic exam to check on you, okay?”

Under the sheet, her hands moving efficiently, no blood, everything normal. Good.

The queen was already in a neck brace, and she didn’t seem to have spinal injuries as the EMTs have said. The fetal HR monitor beeped steadily. Almost sixteen weeks. Could probably detect omma had been in trouble.

“Mama, you’re doing good so far. And the little bean isn’t upset either.”

Sok-jun was finished with his own examination and did FAST again even though the EMT’s already did. Song-eun scanned the monitor alongside him. No free fluid. Good. He met Song-eun’s eyes and nodded and left.

The neuro attending was already examining the queen’s eyes. Song-eun saw what he saw. “Reactive, symmetrical pupils.” Thank heavens. Good reaction to stimulus. “We can check for focal deficits later. Keep her stabilized.”

Both of Tae-eul’s eyes were red with corneal abrasion and Song-eun winced. She gestured to one of the interns to administer antibiotic eye drops.

“Get me that KB test result asap,” she said as Tae-eul got the polymyxin for her eyes and an ortho team looked at the queen’s legs, which had ugly bruises. But they were superficial. “Let’s use the Lodox right now and then take her to CT. Head and chest just to be sure." Neuro nodded. "Keep her asleep for another hour. Mom and baby are stable. Let’s keep it that way.”

She’d just only noticed and recognized Seok Ho-pil when he spoke. He had stood quietly at the door, not getting in the way, but not relenting to be pushed out either.

“Seonsaengnim, forgive me-- are all those safe for Her Majesty? The CT and the Lodox? What’s the KB test? And can she hear you? I thought she was sedated so she won’t be distressed?”

Song-eun nodded. “We talk to patients under sedation. Sometimes they can hear us. And no, she’s not in distress or in pain, don’t worry. And yes, everything’s safe. Absolutely. I want the CT of her head and chest because that’s where the airbags hit. The Lodox is a full body scan, very safe, low-dose x-ray. I don’t want to miss any injury at all. The Lodox will see if there’s any and we can determine if we need more imaging done then. The KB test is to check if and how much the baby’s hemoglobin transferred to the mother’s bloodstream and we can prevent the potential of Rhesus disease if mom and baby have different Rh blood factors.”

She looked at the rest of the Royal Guard, all listening intently. They were probably privy to the fact that the queen was a rare B negative. It was why Song-eun had been so afraid if the queen was bleeding. Only 1 in 3000 Coreans matched Tae-eul’s Rhesus negative blood. She could take O-neg, but if she needed platelets… Song-eun shuddered. At least she hadn’t slipped and informed the entire room. But the entire room would probably be under NDAs in a matter of minutes.

She could see eight guards in total, scattered in the ER lobby, gathering stares from everyone, and three had already moved ahead, probably to check the Diagnostics Room where the Lodox was.

And then suddenly there were more black suits almost completely covering up the seafoam walls of the hospital.

Song-eun stepped out of the trauma room and came face to face with the king.

She had faced her share of devastated husbands in her career and she hoped she never had to look at the king looking like that again. This was her king and her namdongsaeng and it was heartbreaking to see him so terrified.

She broke protocol and spoke first. “Pyeha, we’re still about to confirm with CT and Lodox about the queen’s injuries, but the baby seems to be fine right now and the queen has passed all tests so far. We just need to confirm and keep them both stable. We’ll do our best. We have everything we need here.”

The king didn’t speak, just stepped past her and into the room. His eyes landed on the monitors and then on the queen. Song-eun was glad everyone had been prompt and fastidious about keeping the queen under a warm sheet.

As it was, the king only saw the queen’s face, with those angry red patches on her left cheek and jaw. The king took a deep shuddering breath and released it, hands rising and fingertips pressing to his eyes.

Song-eun looked away.

She nodded to the orderlies scattered like discarded umbrellas because of the arrival of the Royal Guard. They were easy to spot in their lilac scrubs in the mass of black suits. The two closest bowed to the guards on the way, bowed to the king, bowed to the queen, and then pushed and pulled the gurney.

The king startled as if he was going to grab the gurney but stopped himself. Song-eun laid a hand on his arm, and he jumped again.

Song-eun pressed her hand on his arm more firmly. “We’re taking Her Majesty to the Lodox and then to CT. You can come with us if you like, Pyeha.”

--------------------------------------------------------------------

Ok-nam watched Mo Jin-ha burst into tears and wished she could just as easily let go like that. But she couldn’t, she never had, and one of these days, it might kill her, but she wasn’t going to faint this time.

Not until she heard something that would really make her faint.

“I’m sorry-- it’s just-- you know how much I struggled before I finally had Woo-jin and this is-- this is awful.”

Ok-nam patted Jin-ha on the shoulder. Poor Jin-ha had had three miscarriages. It was why she was here, crying, instead of following the king to CorGen. Woo-jin was her little miracle, but the loss of her other children still stung. Would always do.

“Hush now. Let’s wait and pray. We should hear from them any moment now. And you need to make an announcement before rumors spread.”

Jin-ha nodded, wiping tears and straightening her spine. Ok-nam turned to the two policemen who had arrived, hoping to get a statement here but instead seeing the press secretary lose the composure she was famous for.

“Drink your tea, gentlemen,” Ok-nam said. “You do have colleagues who went to the hospital?”

“Yes, ma’am. But if we could get a statement from you--when you hear from them-- then we wouldn’t need to disturb Their Majesties.”

Jin-ha gave another sob. “Oh, the poor queen. She loves that baby so much-- I hope she doesn’t--”

Ok-nam thumped a hand on her chabudai and Jin-ha and both men jumped. “Stop that,” Ok-nam said, ignoring how her heart thumped mournfully and fearfully in her chest. “Don’t think that. Don’t speak of that.”

The phone rang and they all jumped again. Ok-nam answered it just as Seung-ah arrived and knelt beside her.

“Captain Jo, what has--”

“Lady Noh. The queen is fine. No major injuries. They’re still monitoring the queen and the baby. The king is with her. They’re getting her scans.” Ok-nam closed her eyes and sagged in relief. Jin-ha gave a sob of relief and Ok-nam shushed her.

“Seung-ah has the accident footage so you can see,” Jo Yeong continued over the phone. “We’ve already released it to the police. Jangmi has a clavicle fracture and rib fractures and In-yeong has a broken wrist, three fractured fingers, bruised ribs.”

Poor Jangmi and In-yeong. “Do you-- do you have that driver?”

“Yes.” And that was all Yeong said. Ok-nam heard rage in that calm voice. She felt rage herself. “I’ve sent all information to Secretary Mo. She can make the statement at her discretion. I’ll update you.”

Ok-nam put the phone back in its cradle. Seung-ah, pale-faced and pale-lipped, raised her iPad but Ok-nam turned away.

“Are you mad? I don’t want to see it. Show it to these gentlemen.”

Jin-ha seemed to have already received the same footage and the information Captain Jo mentioned in her iPad, and judging by her gasping over the screen, Ok-nam made the right decision not to look at the footage.

“I’m going to pray.”

She took a private, empty, circuitous route so she wouldn’t trail anxious and hysterical court maids and court ladies. She had no time and no patience to comfort anyone.

In the kitchen garden amongst the onggi, her tears surprised her. She wiped them almost angrily.

There was no call for tears yet.

She bowed and prayed.

----------------------------------------------------------------

The sound is not unlike galloping horses. Maybe galloping horses on the coast, because he can also hear a swishing noise like the wind and the surf.

Tae-eul is laughing. “It’s so loud and fast! Are you crying?”

“No.” He blinks his eyes and sniffs as quietly as he can. He sees Song-eun biting her lips and looking amused as she holds the Doppler against Tae-eul’s belly.

Tae-eul squeezes his hand. He moves his eyes away from the ultrasound screen just as she also does. Their eyes meet, and his breath stutters a bit because her eyes are at their most beautiful yet since he met her.

He kisses her hand. And with their child's heartbeat drumming in the background, they grin at each other.

------------------------------------------------------------------

Gon listened to it more times than he'd admit. It was in his playlist for cooking breakfast. He even danced to it in the shower. Tae-eul had caught him at it one time and had laughed so hard and so long she had to sit on the floor.

She didn’t tease him about it, but she invariably looked at him and giggled whenever anyone brought up the baby’s heartbeat or when she listened to the file in her own phone.

He stopped the audio file and put his phone back in his pocket. The beeps of the two heart rate monitors were discordant and so different from the rhythmic gallop and swish of his baby’s real heartbeat but he let those beeps deafen him to everything else.

He kissed Tae-eul’s hand and wished her awake.

She was so pale against the cream sheets on the bed. She now had bandages over her cheek and jaw. Her eyelids were rimmed with red. Her brows were slightly furrowed. She wasn’t tranquil in her sleep.

They’d told him she wasn’t in pain. What scared him was if she was trapped in some nightmare after the terrifying experience she just went through.

It had been almost an hour or so since the tests were done. The CT and the Lodox both found a hairline fracture on her left clavicle.

They’d put her arm in a sling for that and kept her in the neck brace in case of whiplash. Everything else seemed fine. Her head, her spine. Until she woke up and complained of what else hurt, they had no way of knowing, apart from the bad bruising on her left shoulder, on her toes, and on the front of her shins when her legs might have flown and hit against the front seat.

Her blood pressure was back to normal. They’d told him she had been distressed--in the emotional term-- when the ambulance arrived, her heart rate too fast and her breathing erratic, which was why they sedated her and put her on oxygen immediately.

He just knew why she’d been so anxious and afraid.

Song-eun walked into the room and Gon blinked back the sting in his eyes. “Noona.”

“Pyeha. You know Her Majesty is Rhesus negative. We can confirm now that Little bean is Rhesus positive, just like you. We found some hemoglobin of little bean’s in the queen’s circulation so I’m giving her the RhoGAM now.”

Gon watched Song-eun administer the shot on Tae-eul’s arm.

So he saw it when Tae-eul grabbed Song-eun’s hand.

“Mama, you’re awake. How are you feeling? I just gave you a RhoGAM shot. We talked about it before.”

Gon got up and Tae-eul saw him. She let go of Song-eun and reached for him with both hands at first, but both hands went to her belly below her navel, where the fetal HR monitor’s attachments were.

The vital signs monitor made a harsh protest. Tae-eul’s heart rate was spiking.

Gon said, “Tae-eul, you’re all right, the baby’s okay.”

She looked at him and opened her mouth to speak but made an expression of pain, touched her jaw, and cried out when she discovered the raw skin of her burn there.

Gon grabbed her hands in his, looked into her eyes and said, “Tae-eul. You’re all right. The baby’s all right.”

She just looked at him as if she couldn’t understand him. And she was already crying.

Gon stared at her. Why wasn’t she-- and then it clicked. She was probably still deaf from the airbags. He looked at Song-eun and she had obviously come to the same conclusion. She tapped her ears, and then pointed and nodded at the fetal monitor, already rounding the bed to get to it herself.

Gon beat her to it. He let go of Tae-eul with one hand and reached for the fetal monitor to turn the screen toward Tae-eul. His movement was enough to make Tae-eul look in that direction, turning her head as much as she could in the brace.

Gon returned both hands to cradle hers. He bent down to press his lips against her fingertips. He could feel himself shaking with relief now that she was awake.

She looked at the fetal monitor for long moments. The vital signs monitor quieted but her crying continued. Gon bent over her and gently took her in his arms without actually lifting her up. He snaked one arm under her waist and the other arm under her side. She sobbed against his shoulder and he felt her grip the back of his pullover.

He pressed his cheek against her hair, glad she was awake, his heart breaking a little with each sob. She shouldn’t have had to go through this. This much fear. This much worry.

Her sobs slowly stopped until she was only taking deep shuddering breaths. Gon gently pulled back his arms, kissed her uninjured cheek, and wiped her eyes, careful not to actually go near her eyelids with the tissues.

Song-eun caught Tae-eul’s attention. As if she hadn’t just witnessed a breakdown, Song-eun spoke and gestured at the same time, and she enunciated carefully so that even Gon saw her words as much as heard them.

“Tae-eul. Look at me. Baby is here--” Song-eun cupped both hands low on her belly, over her pelvis. “Airbag was here--” Song-eun pointed both open palms on her shoulders and mimed the slam of the airbags over her face and shoulders with a slamming movement of her hands.

“So baby is safe. Okay?” She turned to Gon. “And your car was awesome. God. I have to get one of those.”

“I’ll buy you one,” Gon said, without taking his eyes off Tae-eul. She had calmed down, wincing and squinting with her eyes, looking between them and the fetal monitor.

Song-eun nudged him away from Tae-eul’s side and took his place, sitting beside Tae-eul’s hip and leaning forward to Tae-eul. She held up her index finger. “Follow the finger, Mama. Good. Okay. I’m going to use my light.” She shone that light in and out of Tae-eul’s eyes. Then she placed both her palms under Tae-eul’s. “Pyeha, show her to push on my hands. I saw how she gripped your sweater but I want to make sure.”

Gon mimed bearing down with his hands. Tae-eul pushed. Next, Song-eun mimed making fists with both hands. Tae-eul did that, too. Song-eun swiveled her hips on the bed so she faced the window, leaned back on her hands, and extended and raised her legs, one after the other. Tae-eul did the same.

Song-eun smiled and squeezed Tae-eul’s hands. “Good, good. Just need to wait for your ears to come back. They’ll be back in a bit. You’re good.”

Gon nudged Song-eun aside and she willingly went, smiling. He pushed the button on the side panel and raised Tae-eul’s bed gently, watching her face for any discomfort from her fracture.

Then when she was more or less sitting up, he leaned forward and hugged her as gently as he could, kissed her on the forehead and on her right cheek. He felt her arms close around his waist, and he pulled back before she tried to raise her arms higher. He didn’t want her to strain her fracture.

He enunciated like he saw Song-eun do, not exaggerated but clearly defining each syllable. “Are you all right? Does anything hurt?”

Her eyes went from his lips to his eyes. She spoke carefully now, testing how much her jaw would let her do. “Why can’t I hear you?”

Gon said, “The airbags.”

Song-eun said, “It’s temporary. Around sixteen to forty-eight hours. Is there a ringing noise?”

It took three tries before Tae-eul understood the question, then she shook her head no.

“Oh, good. I’m glad you don’t have tinnitus.” Song-eun cast another long look at the vital signs monitor, smiled at Tae-eul, retrieved the empty syringe she’d dropped when Tae-eul grabbed her, and left, saying she’ll be back later.

“Did you catch that? She said your deafness will last overnight or two days.”

Tae-eul nodded. Then she looked past him at the fetal monitor again, blinking, her eyes spilling tears. Her hands went up to her eyes and Gon stopped her hands before they made contact. She looked at him, wincing. “My eyes hurt.” “I know. I’m sorry. That’s from the airbags, too. Here, noona gave me your eye drops.”

If she didn’t catch that, she quickly understood when he came back to her side with the bottle he’d fetched from her bedside table. Tae-eul being Tae-eul, she tried to be helpful. When she couldn’t tilt her head back at all in the neck brace, she tried anyway. “Ow.” She looked down at her shoulder and her sling as if discovering it for the first time.

Gon used her bed’s recliner and applied the eye drops.

“You have a crack on your clavicle. So don’t move your shoulder or your arms. Does your neck hurt? We’re not sure if you have some muscle strain there.”

“Will you just use your phone? Or find a pen and paper. A… a whiteboard and marker. I’m getting tired trying to read your lips.”

That return of her spirit made him smile. He put down the bottle of eye drops and started writing on her palm instead. And grinned when she also smiled.

But when he was done, her lips were trembling and her face was twisting. She reached for him without raising her hands much from her lap.

Carefully so he wouldn’t jolt her injuries, he moved forward where he sat on her right. He slid his arm around her waist and gently pulled her close. She sighed and entirely rested her right side against him.

“I can’t believe it. Just-- just my collarbone?”

He nodded. It wasn’t just her collarbone, but he could elaborate later.

“I was so scared. I thought it would be worse--”

“Me too.” He wrote the hangul on her palm.

“What about Jangmi and In-yeong?”

“They’re okay, but they have fractures. They’re in surgery to fix them.”

“Oh no. Fractures where?”

“I don’t really know yet. I’ve been with you all this time.”

“They’re going to be so frustrated,” Tae-eul said. “They’ll have to be off-duty.”

“Well, you’ll also be off-duty. You can all be off-duty together.”

“Talk again.”

“What is it?”

She pressed her hand against his chest. “I can feel your voice.”

“Oh. It’s the vibrations.”

She pressed her fingertips at his throat. “I feel your voice better here. Say something.”

“Saranghae. I was scared to death. I’m grateful you’re all right. Are you really all right?”

She nodded, eyes spilling tears again. “You and Song-eun said I am.” And her eyes flicked to the fetal monitor.

Gon sighed and held her closer.

“And you’re sure the baby’s all right? What did Song-eun say?”

This time, he took his phone out of his pocket and typed on it with his arms around her.

She said we’re lucky you’re only almost 16 weeks. The baby’s still small, and the layers of protection are thicker than if you were further along. You did have to get a RhoGAM shot now, and Song-eun says she’ll monitor the baby for Rhesus disease from now on.

Tae-eul was nodding as she read his screen. The Rhesus incompatibility situation wasn’t new to them. They’d learned about it in her first screenings.

Do you have other questions?

Tae-eul stiffened a little in his arms, and Gon thought she was finally going to ask about the driver. Gon had been trying not to think of him either. He had focused on Tae-eul, but now that she was awake and asking questions, the driver was invading his thoughts.

He still didn’t know much aside from the fact that he was completely drunk.

However, after relaxing in his arms again, Tae-eul poked the top right of his phone screen and said, “It’s almost eleven. Why am I not hungry? I haven’t eaten in twelve hours.”

Gon exhaled a laugh. He kissed her hair. He loved this woman. He typed, You ate at eleven pm?

“Don’t go there.”

Still smiling, he typed, I think they gave you something in your IV so you won’t feel acidic and hungry in case you stayed asleep longer. And they gave you vitamins and other essentials. I’ll go ask if you can eat.

He gently maneuvered her back onto her bed. She sighed against her pillow and then looked at the fetal monitor again. Her eyes suddenly went droopy, and Gon knew her adrenaline spike after waking up had worn off now that she knew their baby was safe. And her eyes were probably tired anyway. With her corneal abrasions, sleeping would do her good.

“Hold off on the food,” she said as she closed her eyes. “But get me my kalbi.”

Gon pushed the bed’s button again and put the bed back in full recline. He pressed a kiss on her forehead, and then on her lips, lingering there for several long moments. He loved her, he had missed her, and today he’d nearly lost her.

When they parted, she said, “Saranghae.”

“Nado.”

He didn’t leave her, of course. Gon dropped on the armchair and took several deep breaths, exhaling quietly. His relief sent him doubling over, elbows on his knees, and he thanked God over and over. A litany of Gamsahabnida.

Then he leaned back on the armchair and just looked at her. Now her face no longer looked pinched, as if she was truly sleeping now. Once he was sure she was in deep sleep, Gon hit 3 on his phone.

“Yeong. Ask Dr Chae if Tae-eul can eat. She’s asleep now but she asked about food.”

“Ye, Pyeha.” And before Gon could ask, Yeong added, “My report is in the Drive. I have a lead so I’m about to leave, Pyeha. We’ll continue updating the doc.”

“All right. Thank you.”

Gon took a deep breath and navigated to the Drive. He wasn’t about to leave Tae-eul’s side and Yeong couldn’t deliver the report personally, so this Drive folder, usually for documentation only and something Gon had never looked at, came in handy.

He saw the thumbnail of the footage and his jaw clenched. As king and sovereign justice, he had to watch it.

He watched Jangmi approach the intersection defensively, not crossing it even with the light on green because of that suspicious oncoming white car from the left.

He watched the white car barrel through the intersection-- other cars swerving to a halt.

He watched his wife’s car stop beyond the path of the white car, just like all other cars had done.

He watched the white car swerve for no reason at the last second and ram into his wife’s car, even though practically all the cars had given it a clear path across.

He watched it twice and closed the video before his blood boiling made him throw his phone at the wall.

He could feel his jaw trembling with rage and he swore under his breath to release some of his anger. It made him feel dirty even though Tae-eul was asleep and couldn’t have heard him. He rubbed his hands over his face and looked at Tae-eul, letting the sight of her calm him.

He opened the report next. Aside from details that he already knew, like the time and location of the collision, and Tae-eul’s condition at the time of the ambulance response, it now included photos of Jangmi’s and In-yeong’s x-rays and Yeong’s notes.

Jang Mi-reuk:

lacerations on the face, neck and arm (left)

Type 1 distal clavicle fracture (left)

Type A oblique rib fractures (left posterior 4th, 5th and 6th ribs)

Type B transverse rib fracture (left posterior 7th rib)

30% pneumothorax (left lung)

severe bruising on the left side

sensorineural hearing loss and tinnitus (prognosis: temporary)

Park In-yeong:

bruised ribs (left)

distal radius fracture (right)

displaced, mid-shaft and intra-articular fractures of the phalanges (left little finger, ring finger and middle finger)

sensorineural hearing loss (prognosis: temporary)

Gon was glad Jangmi wasn’t worse. He was the only one on the left side of the car, the side of the collision. The other car had rammed the queen’s car a little behind Jangmi’s seat, and even with the car’s airbags and collision safety technology, look at all those broken bones. And his lung had collapsed.

Yeong’s report says they didn’t know how exactly In-yeong broke her wrist and fingers. Probably from slamming them against something during the crash.

Damn. And it was In-yeong’s right wrist. She wouldn’t be able to shoot a gun for weeks. The little crack shot wouldn’t like that.

The next page was about the driver.

Gon read it all but the only thing that stood out was the blood alcohol concentration. The driver weighed 160 pounds with .25 BAC.

That was beyond driving under the influence. Influence was about a quarter of the man’s blood alcohol level. What the driver did was practically--

Gon’s brain supplied manslaughter. He closed his eyes. No one had died. But someone could have. Someone could have. And if Gon hadn’t bought the safest car in the world, or if Jangmi simply chose any of the other cars in the fleet, where would Gon be right now?

---------------------------------------------------------------

“SPEAK UP! I ASKED YOU WHAT HAPPENED TO THE QUEEN AND YOU HAVE TO ANSWER ME!”

Ho-pil gestured to Dong-min and ran to VIP 6, the VIP room where he could hear Jangmi bellowing. He found the man shouting at his nurse from his bed by the window.

On the other bed, In-yeong was awake and looking mournful. When she saw Ho-pil, she said, “I can’t hear it but it’s hurting my eardrums. How’s the queen?”

Ho-pil gave her two thumbs up. Queen was okay. Baby was okay. In-yeong sighed and then winced when that action jogged her ribs.

Ho-pil marched over to Jangmi, who was still bellowing like a wounded bull.

He was a wounded bull. His face, neck and arms were bandaged, his torso was bandaged and in thick braces. He also had a bandage over his clavicle where his surgery incision was. His left arm was in a sling secured with straps to keep his shoulder immobile.

When he saw Ho-pil, he stopped shouting. But he was still yelling. Ho-pil winced. “Sunbaenim. How’s the queen?”

Ho-pil repeated the two thumbs up that worked with In-yeong.

Jangmi burst into tears.

“Should I have moved the car and tried to avoid it? It happened so fast. I should have done something.”

Ahh shit. Poor Jangmi. Ho-pil pulled out his phone and typed rapidly.

You did exactly what I would have done if I’d been the one at the wheel. This wouldn’t have happened if that other bastard wasn’t blind drunk. The queen is fine. She has a clavicle fracture like you, but not as bad. And there’s something about her getting the Rhesus injection thing because she has that rare negative blood type and the baby’s a positive. Don’t terrorize your nurses. They’re the ones who’ll give you food and pain meds.

He showed the screen to Jangmi and the great bull calmed down with every word, and then turned sheepish by the end.

“I’m sorry, sunbaenim. Thank you. But I still want to apologize to the queen. Can we see the queen?”

Ho-pil mouthed, “Can you get up?”

“Sure, if you help me.”

“I’ll help you later. Rest for now. I think Their Majesties will let us know if they want to see--”

Dong-min pounded on the open door and waved frantically at Ho-pil. “Seonsaengnim, the king wants--”

And then the king himself stepped into the room.

They all bowed their heads. Not just out of respect. The king looked murderous. For some reason, Ho-pil had a flashback he couldn’t identify because he had never seen the king like this before, but his mind told him the king was dangerous when he looked like this.

And contrary to Jangmi, the king spoke in quiet, precise syllables that made the hair on Ho-pil’s neck rise.

“Sub-captain Seok. Captain Jo is already investigating that man.” Ho-pil heard disgust and knew the king wanted to call the man something else. Ho-pil already did in his own head. “He has a lead somewhere else. Now I want information on where that man drank all night. If it was an establishment, the owner, and the staff who served him. If it was a private party, who he was with. Call his employers or his employees.”

“Ye, Pyeha. His family, too?”

“We already know his family. Captain Jo sent it in. In any case, I don’t want testimony from anyone who might beg for him not to die.”

“Ye, Pyeha.”

With a nod toward In-yeong and Jangmi, the king left.

They waited ten seconds, and then In-yeong and Jangmi asked him what the king said. Ho-pil typed it on his phone and showed it first to In-yeong, and then to Jangmi.

In-yeong had just looked vindictive. Jangmi spoke their thoughts aloud. Real loud.

“HOLY SHIT.”

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

A loud, grinding noise and the crash of metal against metal.

The piercing shatter of glass breaking. The explosive full blast of airbags. Brakes squealing.

Pain and burning on her eyes, her shoulder, her legs, everywhere. She struggled to part her eyelids but they wouldn’t cooperate beyond a small squint. She couldn’t see Jangmi and In-yeong at all.

She couldn’t hear anything either.

Someone was lifting her and she told them to be careful, she was pregnant, but if they heard her she had no idea-- she knew she was speaking but the way she heard herself was different. Was she dead and was it this quiet when you were dead?

She couldn’t be dead-- she was going to have a baby. And Gon would be devastated. No, no.

Suddenly, her eyes were open and she saw the car coming again as if to finish the job now that the paramedics had brought her out of the shelter of the car.

Determined that it wouldn’t get her this time, she struggled against the paramedics and ran with all her might away from them all, away from that car.

But it still hit her and she felt that gentle and violent rocking again.

It made her ill.

Suddenly, she realized she really was throwing up over a basin. Her eyes were really open. When she was done, she could see beyond the basin and her sheets. Cream sheets and blankets now being gently and efficiently changed around her by court maids in their familiar uniform. Leaf green walls and cream paneling and a big glass window showing the dimming light of sunset.

She was in a hospital room, not a highway full of stopped traffic and one murderous car.

Something cool and comforting was being pressed against the right side of her face. Comforting in contrast to the dull ache she felt in her legs and feet, her shoulder, her face. Everything hurt.

Gon was beside her. He was the one holding the basin and the towel against her cheek. When he saw she was really done being sick, he passed the basin to a court maid, wiped Tae-eul’s mouth with the towel, and offered her a glass of water with a straw.

Tae-eul sipped water and swallowed it with some difficulty past the sobs building in her chest and throat. She held off as long as she could, but they came out anyway.

When she woke up this morning, she had cried with relief. She had been so afraid, so sure that she was about to be told she was no longer-- but then she felt the attachments on her belly and saw the fetal monitor and-- she cried with relief.

Right now, she was crying from residual terror. She had been a detective. She knew what this was. Only, she had known and seen it happen to others. In colleagues, in witnesses, in suspects.

Now she knew what it was like. And her detective’s brain tried to feed her with facts to ease her anguish. She focused her eyes on the fetal monitor. Her baby was fine. She was fine. She couldn’t hear but she was fine. She was in the hospital. She cracked her collarbone. But she was fine. The car hadn’t hurt her. Hadn’t hurt them.

Gon was real, his arms around her, his hand stroking her hair soothingly, and his breath against her ear.

The sick feeling in her stomach receded. Her heart slowed down. She clung to Gon’s arm and let herself fall back against him, on the familiar shelter of his shoulder.

She pressed her lips together to close her mouth and stop crying. There was no need to carry on like this. She looked at Gon, drank him in with her eyes, and let that gaze and that nose and those lips and that jawline blot out the last vestiges of that car from behind her eyelids.

But it frustrated her that she couldn’t hear his voice. She could feel his chest rumbling softly and his lips moving against her forehead but she heard nothing.

He brought his face close to hers, gently tilting her chin so she could see him. She focused on his lips as they moved. “You’re all right. I’m here. Are you all right?”

She nodded and shook her head. “Everything hurts.”

Gon’s mouth curved down. “I’m sorry. Your medication should take effect soon. Noona gave you another dose some time ago. You’ll be fine.”

She nodded, raising her right hand to cradle his neck. When he spoke again, she felt it against her palm. “Do you want to tell me about it? What woke you up? Was it the accident?”

She nodded again. “Just… I saw it all over again. And everything I heard then. I wish I could hear something else to push it out of my head.”

Gon pulled some tissues from the box on her bedside table and gently dabbed at her cheeks, careful not to make contact with her eyes.

He said, “I could sing to you. Maybe only feeling the vibrations on my throat would make it sound better.”

She caught all that from reading his lips and it made her smile. “Go on.”

And Gon sang. An English song he’d heard her alternately sing and hum. It was like a lullaby. Soft, comforting, the notes rising and falling in smooth harmony. She could hear the song in her head, and her mind added the tune to Gon’s voice vibrating against her palm, drowning out that awful screech of metal.

“Moon river,

wider than a mile,

I’m crossing you in style some day.”

Her stomach chose that moment to grumble.

Gon stopped singing and looked at her. “I know I can’t sing as well as you, but that was rude.”

Tae-eul laughed.

“Come on. Let’s get you fed. You’ve had nothing but liquid nutrition all day.”

As if listening for this, another court maid came in and laid a tray on the bed. Then she placed and uncovered a black and gold ceramic dosirak on top of it. Tae-eul smelled kimchi and kalbi and her mouth watered.

Gon picked up the tray and placed it over her lap. She opened her mouth and he chuckled, taking a little bit of everything into a spoonful and bringing it to her mouth.

“Good?”

“Really good. Did I lose my phone?”

Gon nodded. “It was on the seat behind Jangmi. Why?”

“Give me your phone.”

She didn’t even have to navigate much. The file she wanted was on the homescreen. She played it at maximum volume. Nothing.

She sighed.

“You remember how it sounds, though, right?” Gon asked.

Oh, she did. But she wanted to hear it, not remember it.

She wanted that heartbeat to assure her, distract her, make her feel safe and happy again. And Gon’s voice. She needed his voice, too.

They both ate the dosirak without talking much, both of them retreating inside their own heads, and then Gon helped her wash her face-- with wipes-- and brush her teeth-- with a basin.

Maybe her pregnancy-safe painkillers still had narcotic side-effects, or maybe she was just tired out from everything. She drowsily played with Gon’s hand in her lap.

She decided she couldn’t put it off any longer. “Gon. The driver.”

He looked at her, and his gaze was still the same whenever he looked at her, but she saw the fury there, the hard and unforgiving glint.

“Tell me about the driver.”

He took his hand from hers, navigated his phone, and gave it to her with the document open.

She scrolled past Yeong’s notes on her condition, on Jangmi’s and In-yeong’s, her heart squeezing at their injuries, and then there he was. His driver’s license. Kim Ae-go, 1977 08 29, Gijang-gun.

The report had been updated an hour ago with priors. Several counts of DUI and possession, the first one when he was 16. When he was 19, he had crashed his car into a house, killing a cat and her four kittens. The case was settled. When he was 24, he had hit a 15-year-old kid on a bike and the kid was paralyzed from the waist down, but the case was settled. Five years later, he was tried for vehicular manslaughter-- a 17-year-old girl and her 10-year-old sister were killed-- but was acquitted.

“I can’t believe this.”

Gon looked at her, that glint in his eyes sharper now.

“This... this son of a bitch is a menace.”

Gon blinked.

“Well, now that he has endangered the bloody queen and the heir, he has no chance of being acquitted, has he? You can even behead him.” She slammed his phone down on the bed.

Gon stared at her, his eyes flickering between her and the vital signs monitor.

“What? I suppose we can’t have him beheaded just because I was the one attacked this time. He should have been punished long ago. Just… just get him imprisoned for life. No parole.”

In response, Gon’s hand came to cradle her uninjured cheek, and then he was kissing her, pressing and stroking her lips with his, taking her lower lip in his mouth, pulling on it and teasing it with his tongue.

Then he just lingered there with their lips brushing while they both breathed each other’s air. His eyes stared into hers, and the glint was still there, but it was a different kind.

He kissed her again, just a quick but still persistent kiss, and then withdrew.

He took his phone from where she’d slammed it on her bed covers-- now the silk from the palace-- and typed on it. He showed her the screen.

I wanted him beheaded. But I suppose life imprisonment is more appropriate so he can properly reflect and pay for his sins. He’s already under lock and key in the hospital. No chance of being acquitted, no. And yes, life with no parole.

Get better soon, my queen. I missed you. And I love you when you’re bloodthirsty.

She didn’t quite slam his phone down on the bed again, but it was still close. She felt ridiculous about it and glared at him.

He was laughing as he pushed the button on her bed.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Gon was shaken, however. He watched Tae-eul asleep in the glow of the lamps, her face golden and beautiful and angelic. Was this Tae-eul’s purpose in his world? Not just a queen but a trap for pests?

He opened his phone and tapped their favorite audio file almost automatically. The volume was still on the last setting by Tae-eul-- maximum-- and he didn’t lower it. He let it wash over him.

It sounded like how his heart thundered in his ears that morning-- just that morning-- when Yeong told him Tae-eul had been in a car crash.

It also sounded like a drum roll before an announcement. What would he announce? That the queen was taking a leave of absence? Could he send her--ask her--to stay in the republic and hope she was safe there?

He grimaced at the stupidity and futility of that thought.

His phone buzzed in his hand. It was Yeong.

“Pyeha. I’m coming to your room and I’ll stay with the queen.”

“Why?”

“He’s awake. He remembers everything. And the Minister of Finance is here.”

----------------------------------------------------------------

Ok-nam saw the sickle moon again in her dream. And just like before, it turned into a brilliant sun.

She didn't know why that thrilled her and assured her but it did.

She was just about to happily sink further in her dream and sleep when she felt herself being pulled to wakefulness.

It was the phone. She answered it and heard the king’s voice just as what happened that day hit her.

"How are you? Have they told you everything?"

"Pyeha. How is the queen?"

"Better. She's fine. They're both fine." Ok-nam sighed. "Lady Noh. Should one punish severely or well?"

Ok-nam didn’t even have to think about it. “Do both. Always.” She dipped her head with emphasis even though the king, her little boy, couldn’t see her. “This is how you make things right. This is how you inspire other people to also always make things right.”

“Hmm. You and your punishments that involve three generations.”

Ok-nam raised her eyes to the ceiling. “I don’t really do that! You know what I mean.”

“Yes, I do. Thank you.”

---------------------------------------------------------------

The Minister of Finance was prostrate before the king.

This day was just full of surprises. Ho-pil had just arrived back at the hospital to make a report to the king when Captain Jo asked him to escort the minister to VIP 5. Ho-pil balked at that, disgusted that the minister and his asshole son were in the VIP wing right alongside the queen, but Yeong told him the entire VIP wing was currently occupied by the Royal Court.

True to the Captain’s word, VIP 5 was empty.

It seemed to be under renovation. Bare walls. With the minister prostrating on the bare floor.

“Pyeha, I beg your forgiveness. I am horrified at what has occurred. At what my son did. My entire family deserves to die.”

The minister was a spry seventy-four year old that Ho-pil had admired. But the man had aged since Ho-pil had last seen him. He felt almost sorry that the son’s sins were being visited on the father. Almost. Because the father had sins himself, didn’t he?

The king, standing tall with the minister at his feet, spoke in his quiet way. No fury this time, but it still made Ho-pil swear he’d never do anything to warrant the king speaking to him in that tone.

“I am not going to make accusations, Minister. But your son has been endangering people for more than two decades. He has even killed two girls. He was acquitted. With his priors, the acquittal seems impossible until one looks at the family he belongs to.

“What do you hope to obtain?”

“Our lives. We deserve to die but please let my family live, Pyeha. I will accept all other punishments I deserve.”

The king replied without pause. “So be it. You are henceforth stripped of your title and ministership. You and your wife are banished from Corea. Your son will be tried and imprisoned the maximum sentence. As I’m the sovereign justice, and this time the case is right before my eyes and I hope I’m no longer an inadequate teenaged monarch, I can assure you your son will die in incarceration. Is that to your satisfaction?”

The minister lowered his head further on the floor. “Pyeha-- my parents-- they’re the ones who coddled the boy. I humbly suggest the punishment extend to them.”

“Very well. I trust your word. They will join you in exile. None of you are allowed to set foot in the kingdom. Not even to die here.”

“Thank you for your mercy. Thank you for sparing my children and grandchildren, Pyeha.”

If the father impressed Ho-pil, the son disgusted him.

The king didn’t even bother to speak to the gibbering man. What a fucking cockroach, begging for forgiveness without acknowledging his actions. The king entered his room, looked at him, and just seemed to tune him out when he began talking.

And when Ho-pil told the king that the cockroach had thrashed the server who had confiscated his car keys, Ho-pil saw the king’s hand clench at his side.

Ho-pil was sure that if the Four Tiger Sword had been at the king’s hip in its scabbard, he would have slit the man’s throat.

But aside from that small movement anyone untrained would have missed, the king didn’t even flinch as they left the room.

“Add that to his charges. And place the server in protective custody. I think Captain Jo already made contact with the family of the girls and they’re under our protection as well. Cut off all communication channels of the Kim family until and after the four senior Kims are exiled.”

“Ye, Pyeha.” His investigation had told him as much. The old Kim patriarch had a long reach without having to step outside his villa. It was just unlucky for the old man he was now standing toe to toe with the king.

“Sub-captain Seok, please inform Secretary Mo that if there are other cases like this that have escaped my notice, I want them all at my desk by Friday next.”

Ho-pil stood tall and took immense pride in saying, “Ye, Pyeha.”

----------------------------------------------------------------

The guards at the door of VIP 7 were instead standing near VIP 6. Gon heard the din of raised voices as he stepped past them. The guards had stepped away so they wouldn’t hear. What on earth--

As he stopped at the door, he heard Tae-eul’s voice clearly, and it stunned him because for a moment, he thought she was talking to him.

“And do you think the republic has force fields that prevent a car crash? I could have a car accident there, too.”

Then Yeong spoke. “What if you had died? What if the baby--”

“Don’t think that. I didn’t die. I didn’t lose--”

“Are you going to look at death every day? I thought it was over.”

“Why do you always make me talk in cliches? We do look at death every day. Anything can happen to anyone at any time.”

“Don’t tell me you don’t see it. You were used today to finally catch that man. You saw his records. Once he slammed into YOUR car, there was no hope for him. His entire family’s power gone just like that because he happened to crash into the queen this time. That was unnecessary. That was senseless. The king would have caught on to him sooner or later. But look what happened. And because you and I both know you’ve been put here on purpose, aren’t you a little suspicious? Aren’t you even a little afraid?”

“Of course I’m afraid. I’m terrified. But there are things you fight and stay for even when you’re afraid. You know that.”

Gon had felt his stomach drop at Yeong’s words, and then Tae-eul’s just knocked the wind out of him. Yeong didn’t answer, so Gon opened the door. He found them on opposite ends of the room, Tae-eul in bed and Yeong standing at the window.

Both of them looked impassive, although Tae-eul’s visible cheek was flushed.

“Did I interrupt something?”

Yeong said, “No.” Tae-eul just sighed.

Gon knew that no matter how tenacious she was, what Yeong said had bothered her. Of course, it would.

To his surprise, Yeong spoke up.

"I'm worried about you. Both of you. If something happens to either of you, I'm the one who'll be left with the pieces. I’m meant to protect you. Why else do I remember everything? But how can I protect you from something like this? I’m powerless and useless.”

Gon took a deep breath and spoke of the realization that had come to him between his call to Lady Noh and his audience with the ex-minister. “Something or someone else will prove powerful and useful then, Yeong-ah.”

Yeong scowled at him.

“It’s a balance. How do you think I felt this morning? I was king but what good was that when Tae-eul was in a car crash? But that car proved powerful and useful. Jangmi’s defensive driving ended up powerless and useless but that car protected them, didn’t it?”

Yeong turned his head to the side, his gesture of thinking over what Gon said.

“I was thinking like you earlier. It crossed my mind that maybe I could ask her to stay in the republic. But like she told you, that didn’t make sense. And when I found out about that man’s family, everything made sense. You said I could have caught on to him sooner or later-- but can you think of any other circumstance where he would have been trapped so cleanly without escape?”

Yeong scowled and sighed. Tae-eul said, “I think that’s the longest he explained something without a math reference, don’t you?”

Yeong sighed again, but this one sounded amused, and the look he gave Tae-eul was full of exasperation. Something Gon was familiar with because it had been directed at him for dec--

Gon snapped his head to Tae-eul. “You heard me?”

Tae-eul grinned and tapped her right ear. “Loud and clear. Ever since Yeong came in and woke me up.”

“I didn’t wake you up. You were already awake.”

“What about your left ear?”

“Still fuzzy. I think because it got the brunt from all the airbags and the… the crash.”

“It will come back. I’m glad you can hear again.”

“Me, too. Give me your phone.”

Gon smiled, moving eagerly toward her, and Yeong did the same, toward the door. “I’ll see myself out. I don’t like being in the room when you two start smiling like that.”

Gon clapped him on the shoulder. “Don’t worry too much. Live for today.”

Yeong just gave him a side-eye. “Tell yourself that, too.”

Gon nodded. “I do. Everyday.”

------------------------------------------------------------

Tae-eul watched the two best friends exchange words--too soft for her to hear-- before Yeong made it out the door. When she was out of here, she was going to send Yeong and Seung-ah to Jeju or Pyeongchang so he could decompress.

Maybe they could all go as a treat to the entire guard while Jangmi and In-yeong were recovering.

Gon gave her his phone, kissed her, and then retreated to the en suite. She heard him at the sink, brushing his teeth, the clink of the water glass against the counter, and then the gentle thump and soft buzz of his luggage as he opened zips and probably got his pajamas.

There was the faint noise of the shower door sliding on its track, once, twice, and then the muffled cascade of the shower running.

She listened to every little noise. She thought she even heard the soft hum of his electric razor. Even the soft slap of his hands as he applied aftershave. It made her smile.

And then she heard the shift of the sound of his footsteps from tile to carpet, and when she opened her eyes, he was watching her from the side of the bed.

“I thought you’d have it in full volume but I came out to absolute quiet.”

Tae-eul snorted. “You don’t know absolute quiet. And I was waiting for you.”

He smiled and helped her move on the semi-double bed to make space for him. It might be a VIP room but the bed still couldn’t be too big to hinder patient treatment. She made sure the space was big enough for Gon to lie on his back rather than on his side all night.

He laid down on his side, however, with his arm over her waist and under her sling, kissing her temple and her cheek.

She squeezed his arm with her left and then she tapped play on their favorite audio file.

Tae-eul closed her eyes and listened to it. Then she remembered Gon dancing to this and giggled. She turned the volume loud and then softer, and the little bean’s heartbeat remained steady and strong.

This was what she’d wanted to hear all day, what she’d known she would hear soon when she’d heard the soft click of the door after Yeong had entered and it latched closed.

So when Yeong had seen she was awake and started talking about his fears, she had been calm and peaceful, with her faith a solid presence in her mind and heart, all because she had known she was about to hear this heartbeat again.

She felt Gon’s thumb swipe at her cheek. “Do you hear any difference?”

She didn’t open her eyes but she tilted her head a little. Gon’s voice was another thing. “Hmm?”

“This is from today.”

“What?”

“This is the little bean at fifteen weeks, not at twelve weeks.”

Tae-eul smiled and laughed a little. “Really? I don’t hear any difference, do you?”

“No. It’s like nothing happened.”

Tae-eul chuckled. “Like nothing happened.”

___________________________________________

Question/reader reaction to A dark day for Corea: WHY DID I DO THIS?! WHYYY!

Answer: You know that sweet pregnancy trope where they listen to the baby's heartbeat? I wanted it in a flashback in a currently bleak scene.

And this is what came to me. I did my research and I kept finding things to support what I wanted to do, like the new Mercedes Benz S-class 2021 (to be released in September), the loss of hearing from airbags, and so many other bits. I loved it.

I did drop Corea News ahead so I’d be committed to seeing this through.

I almost paid for subscription to a medical procedures journal, but I did find specific answers for free. The key is to ask specific questions lol.

If I got anything wrong, forgive me. I could have asked medical people around me, but I’m shy and writing is solitary.

FACT: Rhesus negative blood is RARE in Asia. There was a sad news item in Korea where a man died because he needed platelets and couldn’t find enough donors. He had B-negative blood.

All right, let me know what you think. Please drop a line, thank you! :)

#CoreaNews #CoreaFiction #the king and queen #the king: eternal monarch #TKEM fan fiction #CoreaStories

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fantranslatorbychoice · 4 years

Text

Kakuriyo no Yadomeshi Volume 6 Chapter 2- The Village Hidden in Hyakumemomiji** Part 1

T/N: OK Kakuriyo Fam-fans, how are you all doing? Did the last chapter surprise you? Anyways, I wasn't surprised, Odanna-sama always takes Aoi out on a food trip date (dang it, when's my turn lololol even I am tired of eating just white rice at times T_T) so yeah, I guess autumn fruits sound good.

Anways, I sorta started doing a speed run of this chapter because I got too-excited with the date, and I tried letting out this translation as fast as I can, and hopefully by the end of the chapter you'll see why I wanted to speed run this mofo lololol

As always, I mostly didn’t translate a lot of the names of the ayakashi/youkai, as well as the proper nouns because uhm... They’re basically nouns. It’s like how some translated manga are done. Plus it irks me sometimes when everything just gets transliterated, it kills off the vibe. But that’s just me. Links to references at the end of the post.

Also if you like this translation, you can share the link, reblog, but for pete’s sake DO NOT REPOST ELSEWHERE. I worked hard to finish this thing, it’s not like I just Google-translated this whole sh**..

If you need refreshers on what happened, @kakuriyo-translations already had the previous translations. I’ll place a tiny index in this post somewhere, to make that easy. I’m just contributing to this fandom. Also, as previously mentioned in my other post, the 2 seasons of the anime cover volumes 1-5, so if you need a review just rewatch them all. Volume 6 starts here.

P27 "A date with Odanna-sama, huh..." Yesterday's rice cooking events felt like a daze, and I felt that fairly it hasn't sunk in yet, and waking up early just made me realize it. The lovely chirping of the little birds just annoyingly grated my ears. The distinct skin-chilling coldness of autumn is also piercing my body. Incidentally, I'm also a bit nervous. "It's.... It's not a big deal, it's not unusual that I'm going on a date with Odanna-sama. Yeah." We went to Youto and ate offal hotpot, we ate chicken tempura in Gintengai, and in the port of the Southern lands we ate donburi with pickled toppings... No matter how many times Odanna-sama and I went out, why am I nervous after all this time? This is weird. Could it be that I'm going down with an illness? Firstly, I opened the shutters of the veranda, to breathe in the early morning air... "Aoi! Let's go now!" P28 "What the.. It's early! Odanna-sama you're early!" The busy bee that uneasily goes here and there and everywhere and has no free time Odanna-sama has already come here. It seemed that he cut across the inner garden towards the veranda. If so, he must have beavered to get here with incredible flexibility. But I'm still wearing my pajamas! "Speaking of, Odanna-sama.. Are you going out looking like that?" Odanna-sama changed his appearance into a younger one, like what he looked liked before, as a fish monger, and his kimono wasn't spectacular, he just looked like a commoner. "That was fast. The face I usually have in Tenjin-ya is too recognizable. What's more, Aoi is the only one that found me out, now this date isn't fun anymore." "I... I'm sure..." Although, if it's through this appearance I felt a bit nervous too. At any rate, this handsome Odanna-sama may be handsome, but the nobleman aura isn't here. Even Orio-ya's Young Mistress Nene only said that he looked reliable-ish. "But Odanna-sama, in spite of this, even this is way too early for Ayakashi! I haven't even prepared anything yet." "I'll wait for you here while you get ready." "You're not busy? Odanna-sama has some free time?" P29 "It's because it's been a very long time since I had a whole day free. Even though Byakuya has been nagging me to get some break already, I just feel that I mustn't. I may have worked too much during the matter with Orio-ya. That dude Raijuu. It seemed that he used some people from the capitol. One way or another, it smells like that all over." "Smells like that.. All over?" What does that mean? The matter in Orio-ya, the circumstance that accompanied the Southern lands, the ceremony that no one spoke of and secretly kept in the back-burner. The sea that lies in between Tokoyo and Kakuriyo wherein every 100 years an Ayakashi called Umibouzu arrives, a peculiar Ayakashi that is received and welcomed. In that ceremony, Raijuu made a disturbance and I got hindered, but borrowing everyone's strength and cooking the Sea Jewel Appetizers while bearing all that, we were able to entertain and serve the Umibouzu. I know that Odanna-sama worked hard for me, but there were many things that I don't know, could there be more things hidden? That Raijuu, I wonder if he's doing anything else right now? "Hey, Aoi, don't go absent-mindedly prepare when getting ready. Would you want to go out in your sleepwear?" When he said that, him egging me on, I went inside the room to prep up... "No, but what should I wear?" In front of me is the kimono that Odanna-sama gave me, but it's too elegant and it won't fit fruit picking. P30 There's also the blue kimono that I used back in Orio-ya, but it's too summery. "Hm?" I opened the wooden cabinet, and I became aware that there was a kimono that I haven't seen before. It was solidly very autumn, a deep red kimono, and a soft mustard yellow obi. It was laid on top of it. It looks of good quality, but it looks light and simple to wear, it's going to be easy to move in it. "Please use this on your date with Odanna-sama. Matsu, Take, Ume." The letter on it... It's the three Nopperabou sisters usual business! "I'm thankful but.. why is there a feeling of eagerness?" I closed the sliding doors of the veranda and changed clothes. From beyond the sliding doors's side, I could hear Odanna-sama chatting with the palm-top Kappa Chibi, who just came back from taking a morning bath. "Ah.. Ogre-shaaan is heeeere" "Isn't taking a bath in autumn chilly, Chibi?" "Ish not really that coooold. In Utsushiyo, the raging wavesh were mush coldeeeer. Ish eashier in heeere." "Aren't you strong... That can only be expected from Aoi's disciple..." "Yeahhh but my beak ishhh chattering... Ish very very coooold..." P31 "Come here. The ogre-fire will warm you up." It seemed that the seemingly calm and composed but eventually got cold Chibi was warmed up by Odanna-sama's ogre-fire. Somewhat somehow, after changing clothes I attached the flower bud kanzashi in my hair. "The petals have opened up considerably now..." I talked to the petals. Gah, I don't know if talking to the petals is a good thing... My impatience doesn't wane, with regards to the flower has blooming. I wanted to see the flowers open up into a round wheel, but the petals will scatter if it does. "Aoi-shaaaan! I am hungryyyy..." Chibi flungs the sliding door open and enters the room. And speaking of, I haven't made breakfast yet. "Say, Odanna-sama, you want to eat breakfast? We have a lot of cold rice left, we can make some onigiri. We can eat while we're walking." "Aoi's hand-rolled meals? Yes, that sounds good." I have just finished changing clothes, but I already wore my apron and went to the kitchen and made onigiri. I mixed the plum and Hijiki seaweed into the onigiri, and packed a lot of the salmon flakes into the onigiri wrapped in nori. There were also eggs left, so I made them into rolled omelette. P32 There's no dashi, no onions, just plain omelette. I added salt and sugar, and some mayonnaise as a faint flavoring. I cut cucumbers and pickled daikon and skewered them with toothpicks, and added these to the sides. The simple onigiri bento box is now done. I wanted to make some with more variety, but I can't make Odanna-sama wait. Today we're going with "simple is best." I stuffed everything in a box, wrapped it in cloth and brought it out with me. "I'm sorry Odanna-sama. Did you wait long?" Odanna-sama was lying down in the veranda and smoking his pipe, while listening to Chibi's stories about playing in the pond. It was about a crawfish, then about a pond skater. Whatever it was about, it's fine. "Nooo, it's not bad to wait for the new wife as she readies herself. Teehee." "Then what are you so happy about?" Odanna-sama stood up, said "Alright, let's go!" and held out his hand. I bewilderedly took his hand, and got supported as I wore my geta sandals. Along with the kimono I'm still not used to, I felt anxious of tumbling down. "Ahhh... Aoi-shaaan and Ogre-shaaaan, where are you goiiiiing? Take me along tooooo." "Well, that sounded miserly..." Even though he was always playing alone, Chibi always wants to be taken along. P33 "When you want to come with, you can come, Chibi. You'll be eating your favorite grapes." "Grapeshhh..." Chibi jumped from the veranda and onto my back. I realized that he was climbing my back as he went "Heave, ho, heave ho." "Say, Odanna-sama, are we going in the airship again?" "Ah, yes. But this time, we're not boarding one with the Tenjin-ya's crest because we'll be hiding, so we'll use the smaller ships. This time the fruit orchard Hyakumeyama, which lies in the connecting lands of the north and northeast will be our destination. The place has farms and is quiet, and you can go pick and harvest fruits at ease and in all diligence." In a bit as we went off, Odanna-sama brought me to the place where the ship was set in anchor. In that place, the Young Master Ginji-san and the Chief Accountant Byakuya-san were there, and it seems that they were going to see us off. Byakuya is a Hakutaku Ayakashi, and is Tenjin-ya's REAL Second Leader. On one hand where he's holding a fan, looked like he was tapping it on the other hand, and he seems to be in a bad mood. "Odanna-sama, don't go too far for your rest and relaxation at nightfall, it's quite perilous. That dummy Raijuu seems to be somehow releasing his stench from the capitol. Do you understand?" "Byakuya, don't be nervous. I know and I'm already serious about it." "If so, then that's nice. You too, Aoi-kun." P34 "Y.. Yes!" I unconsciously replied to Byakuya when he called my name, and it flew out of my head. "Yugao's income this month is very good, and for that I salute you. Nonetheless, you must not lose focus, try to learn to understand that when you go out, then come back here. Keep in mind that, and while at it, don't trouble Odanna-sama." "Y.. Yes!" I unconsciously bowed. It's better to listen to Byakuya-san's words. "Hey hey Byakuya. It's a rare rest and relaxation day. Don't make Aoi think about work." "Oh, don't worry Odanna-sama. I was just telling her what I intend to do." "Oh, I see." Odanna-sama looked at the clear autumn sky. "Aoi-san, be careful outside, whatever you will be doing. Odanna-sama, leave Tenjin-ya's care to me in your stead." Ginji-san was grinning and side-smiling. He seems to be his usual and formal self. "Ginji, please take care of business. Byakuya, if there's anything contact me." "Yes, I know, Odanna-sama." P35 Ginji-san and Byakuya-san, the two higher-ups in the management team bowed their heads deeply, and as we boarded the airships they sent us off. As the airship was rising into the clear sky, we bathed in the afternoon sunlight on the ship's wooden deck. The sunlight was warm, despite the cold breeze. It was a really good atmosphere. "Ahhh. Odanna-sama, the weather's good. It's great that it's clear." "Yes. That said, let's eat breakfast, Aoi." "That was hasty, Odanna-sama..." Sitting on the ship's deck's benches, we immediately opened the onigiri bento boxes. While in that great mood, the arranged onigiri tastes good. This was yesterday's scattered rice, and yet adding salt in this onigiri changed its taste. More than anything, eating this outside was a good idea. "The omelette is also good. It's simple, but it suits the onigiri." "You think so? A lot of various things are always added and used, but this time I only added a few seasonings. Because the cassowary's egg is wonderful, the onigiri which has a lot of stuff is already good. But because I added mayonnaise to the egg as a subtle flavor, just adding salt makes it mellow, doesn't it?" I was talking about a lot of things, and Odanna-sama was just enjoying his food and smiling. "Teehee. Surely it's because it's hand made by Aoi. It's warm and feels like home." That Odanna-sama that day, he was very friendly and easy to talk to. P36 That person's impression has definitely changed. No, he did not change, he was probably like that as an ogre since the very beginning. I only noticed that he was such, whenever we met, and talked about heavy things. "But really, I thought that it was better if I made more in variety..." Also, instantly,because the opportunities are rare, I thought that if I'm going to do it, I should concentrate on making various bento kinds. Basically, for Odanna-sama I haven't made any food by hand. No, when it comes to those times, I have made more for the other employees than for Odanna-sama. "Don't worry about it. Just do what you usually cook. In those times, aren't the food that you didn't think about much also taste good? It's because in 10 minutes, they’re already delicious." "The food that I.. didn't think much about?" Probably because lately, the food and drinks that I served were continuously served everyday. Before coming to Kakuriyo, Grandpa and I only cooked for ourselves, home-cooked meals. When I came here, it changed because I served food for the Ayakashi. Even though I felt nervous here and there, my skills improved as I kept doing it, and in that time I was able to learn how to cook freely. Because of that, I was able to feed myself and my family.. "Aoi-shaaan, cucumber..." "Oh, sorry Chibi, here you go.." P37 I handed him over the sliced cucumber and pickles stuck on the toothpicks. Then Chibi held those in both hands, and like in a daze started munching and crunching on them. Even though I was nervous early in the morning, I felt comfortable and carefree right now. The evidences are because of me bringing the onigiri and the bento boxes without thinking much.

"Welcome, Tenjin-ya's Odanna-sama. Yugao's Aoi-dono." The smiling face of the owner who greeted us at the entrance of the fruit orchard looks familiar. Once, previously, we met at Gintengai... Could it be.. It's Rokusuke-san, the Rokurokubi. Even in Yugao, we use the fruits from Rokusuke-san's business Mizumakinouen. "Hello, Rokusuke-san." "Aoi-dono, thank you very much for always patronizing our Mizumakinouen's fruits." "Rokusuke-dono, thank you for taking care of us. I am just a commoner today, because we are doing these in secret. You don't have to be so humble." "I understand, Odanna-sama. Today we're only open for half a day, so I think there will be less visitors. Uhm.. Oh, you can see the momiji autumn leaves on the side of the mountain over there." Rokusuke-san stretched his neck towards the mountain to check, and as he moved towards a tree trunk he showed to us the place. P38 "Alright then, please come this way." We finally went inside the fruit orchard. The first portion of the fruit orchard that we went into, was the grape vineyard. "Woooow!" A canopy above our heads hanging like ivy, these drooping, purple grapes look like drops of water seemingly about to burst. They look so fresh, the colors make them look like jewels. The viney canopy allows the autumn sunlight to pierce through, and the gentle air space is filled with a mysterious life force. "This is awesome, Odanna-sama! The grapes are just so impecable!" "The size of each of these grapes are Kakuriyo's biggest and sweetest, the variety is called Daishisui. Lately, Rokusuke-san says that this seedless variety has been selling very well in the market." "For sure.. In Utsushiyo too, I've seen some seedless grapes, I wonder if the skin in these ones are edible too." "The skin isn't edible. But they're easy to peel. Let's go pick some." "Really, they look like Concord grapes, I was thinking of making some grape tarts, I wonder if they're suitable..." The grapes with seeds are really good when used, but how can these seedless grapes be said to be easier to eat, as well as easier to be used for cooking?** T/N. Yeah, I mean, the seedy ones get easier made into jams due to having more pectin, so I agree with you Aoi, I don't know any other use for seedless grapes other than turning them into raisins. The seedy grapes are, in my opinion tastier, juicer, and have more uses. But that's just my opinion lol P39 The grape's main tree is not that tall, and I could easily have fun gathering them. The farm's assistants gave me scissors, and I started to trim the bunches off the trees. These were profoundly heavy, and I was having so much fun gathering them. Store-bought grapes had nothing on these ones. After picking a lot of grapes, I couldn't resist eating one. I was shocked. "Uwahhh! It's very sweet! Odanna-sama, the grapes are very sweet, they're so delicious!" "You tried them right away?" Immediately after I ate one, the fruit's peel was a tad hard-textured, but the grape just burst in my mouth and the juice's rich taste surprised me, it wasn't that sour but the sweetness levels were high. These grapes were picked at ambient temperature, but the taste and texture were still straight up enjoyable. This is a really good product. "Aoi-shaaaan, I want to slurp some grapesh tooooo." "OK, I'll get it." Chibi got hold of a bunch of grapes and hung on one. He went with a grape, and deftly using his beak started peeling off one portion of it, before slurping up and sucking on the juice and munching on it. Chibi holding onto a grape is somehow cute. P40 "Next up are apples. We're going to go buy some to bring home as give-aways for everyone back in Tenjin-ya." "Apples, huh. There are many preservation methods for them, they store up for long time, and many varieties of recipes can be made with them. I want to buy lots for myself too." Hauling the baskets that Rokusuke-san entrusted to us, we went further away to pick some apples. The apple orchards were further inside the premises, away from the grape orchards. The trees were a bit taller than Odanna-sama. All around the trees’ silhouettes, these bore a lot of fruits. "Uwah, they're really very red!" Those apples look so lovely and so tasty. The red color was so deep, and I love the smooth, round shape. Those hanging on the tree look so gorgeous, but I couldn't help but be very interested as to how these will taste. I trimmed one off with scissors, scrubbed the freshy-picked apple's skin and wiped it, and bit into it with haste. While chewing it, the juice's sweetness and sourness spread across my mouth as well as it's strong fragrance. The fruit was crisp and made crunching sounds, as the liquid lightly pulls away. Truly, this were what's called apples. "Are they sweet, Aoi?" "Yes! The insides are sweet, there's hints of sourness, but the flavor is very deep. For sure, this are of Mizumakinouen's best quality. Oh, Odanna-sama, those apples look like they're of a different variety, let's go there, let's go over there!" P41 "Calm down, Aoi..." Odanna-sama accompanied me going here and there. There were so many varieties of apples in the orchard, each one's taste and sweetness were a bit different, and we ended up trying everything. "Hey look, Odanna-sama. Up there on the mountain a bit, there are also more apple trees!" I discovered that on that different place, the were other growing apple trees. Just about all of the trees in the orchard were basically grown in a detached and open portion of a plateau, but when the adjoined mountain is climbed up a little, trees with seemingly fresh apples can be seen. The pink mixed with the saturated red color makes those apples shine brightly. "That's a variety of mountain apples." "Is that different from normal apples?" "Mountain apples are a bit more sour, and the fruits are hard. Up until now, those fruits are entirely inedible, but just sometime ago, Mizumakinouen has started to sell liquor made out of mountain apples. It's still an unknown product but previously, Rokusuke-san brought a bottle to Tenjin-ya, and we tasted some out yesterday. Ginji and I tried it out as we welcomed some guests." "Speaking of that, both of you were tipsy yesterday..." P42 "It's not exactly that much, but it's easy to get drunk." "Whh-at?" Mountain apple liquor. I'm interested but... I have not so good memories about liquors. Sometime ago, I had a very bad experience with the Tengu's secret sake. That has traumatized me until now, and I have never drank and liquor from then on. "Ahaha, your face stiffened. For sure, after drinking that liquor and getting drunk, you'll feel it for two days after drinking, and the next day when you wake up your mood will be better.. On the night before this rest day I drank just one cup, and I felt like my health got better. Mizumakinouen's brand-new product is something that you'll buy again and again." "Odanna-sama, you don't just merely "drink and try it out." "Ginji also likes it, I'll buy some for him as a souvenir." Just saying that, Odanna-sama just floods with elegance. I went up to where the mountain apples were, just to check. The fruits were larger than I thought. I tried biting on it, it was more sour than sweet, and the flesh was harder. "This isn't just for liquors, this can also be used for jams too." When this is boiled down with sugar, the sourness won't easily disappear, and that's a good thing. Even though the small basket on my back was already full, I tossed the mountain apples into the large basket on Odanna-sama's back. P43 Nevertheless... "Odanna-sama, the commoner's look you have now, you really come off as a plebeian. You really look good with that apple basket, you know." "You're starting to tell me that about me looking like a commoner, Aoi?" Even though I said, that, Odanna-sama seems to be ecstatic. "Let's leave this orchard in a bit. Our baskets are already full." "Ehhh? Let's stay for ten more minutes..." In a corner of the fruit orchard, it seems like there's a small hut that has a fire and is making some jam, and Odanna-sama and I started heading over there. Inside Odanna-sama's basket, in front of me, Chibi was scampering about and I could see Chibi playing with some apples. While inside the large pile of apples, he seems to be playing inside a maze. "Chibi, don't play with the apples too much." "OK, I geeet it. I'm a very shmart Ayakashiiiiii, I won't treat theeeshe appleshhh harshhhlyyyy." However, while Chibi was squirming about, an apple rolled and fell off the basket. "Awww, I made one faaallll ouuuuuut." Chibi popped his face out of the basket, and seemingly unashamed of his wreckless behavior stared at the falling apple, while I chased the apple in a panic. P44 That red apple, I was going to use that for jam. I don't want to waste even one! "What the..." The apple instantly vanished. I didn't notice that there was a large hole hidden by the grass, in front of the place where the apple rolled off to. My geta got stuck and snagged back by a tree root, and I fell head-first into the hole were the apple fell off before! "Gyaaaaahhhhhh---" "Aoi?!!" The apples on my back all rolled down and got scattered. This emergency seemed comical but without a doubt is devastating. Everywhere I bumped into hurts. "Aoi-- Aoi--!" "Ohhhh daaarn, thisshh ishhh baaaaad..." As Odanna-sama was calling my name out, it started to sound farther and farther away because of Chibi's insensitive words. Roll.. Roll.. All of the apples loaded in my back started rolling out easily like a conveyor belt as I looked on. P45 "Owwww" On the place where I landed, I was surrounded by a precipice inside the mountain, and all around was a wide place that was full of fluffy fallen leaves. The top of the hole was high, and above the gaps in between the trees, I could only see a bit of the sky. I went and looked around my surroundings, but I couldn't find the hole that I fell from. "Ohh, a red dragonfly!" But in that place, in all of that stillness, there were momiji, fallen autumn leaves. There was a small spring, where the fallen leaves were floating and coloring the water with. Countless red dragonflies were darting over the spring. Red, orange, brown, yellow. Heavily piled and packed and stacked on top of one another in many layers, the fallen leaves superbly look like a carpet. It looked somewhat like a lovely, autumn forest. Looking at these momiji, I consciously remembered an old memory related to grandpa. "Wai.... Odanna-sama... Odanna-sama, ODANNA-SAMA!!!" This is not a time to be a dummy. I loudly called for Odanna-sama, but my voice only echoes and rebounds back into the precipice's walls. It seemed that Odanna-sama is already far away. "Don't tell me.. I've gotten lost in the fruit orchard..." No matter how frequently I got lost in Kakuriyo, I always didn't feel like I was in distress, didn't I...? P46 "Gah, I shouldn't think too much of this..." For the time being, I'll just wait for help to arrive, while I pick up all of the scattered apples around me. All of the apples were fine. Even if some got bruised, there's no problem with eating them. But then that time, I felt like there were scratching sounds behind me, and I was shocked when I turned my head around. "Wh... Who are you?" From inside the forest, with masks that were as red as apples, and bodies each covered in a straw raincoat, a crowd appeared. They surrounded me, and it seemed like they're coming in from everywhere. "It's a human... A human girl.." Whispering in hushed voices, they signalled each other through the eye holes in their masks. Because the wall of the precipice was behind me, I couldn't move at all. "Wh..What is this.. Wait a minute..." The dubious beings started moving smoothly towards me. Could it be that, they're going to feed on me? But within the populace wearing a straw raincoat, a strange branch was pulled out, and they lighted it up, and towards me wafted a smoke that smelled bittersweet, it was an unfamiliar smell. P47 In a moment before I realized it, I have lost consciousness.

I had a dream. It was an old memory, with momiji and apples. In reality, back then I went with grandpa once, to his old residence. I was still an lementary school student then, and for sure it was autumn. I was sure that grandpa visited the Buddhist altar of his deceased mother, we went to this large residence in the outskirts of Tokyo, and I accompanied him. It has been a long time since he visited their family home, and he probably felt a lot of nostalgia. That home reminded me particularly of autumn season, and it seemed that grandpa had so much deep-seated emotions. "Ah, I see.. When autumn comes, this home seemingly turns into an AKIAKANE." "Grandpa, what's an akiakane?" "That's a red dragonfly, Aoi." It seemed like grandpa cut himself off from whoever was living in that home. He particularly didn't mention the place he came from, and it seems that through this I couldn't get to know him better. After a very long time, for such a reason he had no choice but to meet with his mother. P48 However, if I was going to meet my great-grandma, I couldn't instantly do it when she was still alive. Even when that person died, grandpa didn't come to her funeral, and even after that he couldn't bring it upon himself to visit even secretly. The house that we went to was the first and last time that I did, but to be honest, from how I remembered it, it was a really large residence.** Grandpa was such a monk... "I apologize, I had no way to find out, you were already at the verge of death. As expected, the role of head of the household was difficult..." "Nay, mother's death.. Seemed to be from my curse. I am truly sorry about that. You were killed by someone who didn't want to die... A strong person..." "Being someone like the lady of the house, even at your time of death, Shirou made you worry. Let us hurry now to her Buddhist shrine**." A man in the prime of his life, grandpa brought himself into the house's inner room, and in front of us we saw an imposing Buddhist shrine. A curse...? Grandpa's words were spoken in a low and hushed voice, and that time I thought that what I was continuously listening to was mysterious. But then I remembered something, it seemed that there was a deep meaning to it. T/N: At this point, it's easy to see why Shirou was living as a reckless man, he was probably raised in a stiff household, mostly because he was a member of the main family, with his mother as the house head. So he had to conduct his manners most of the time, probably. He loosened up when he got a chance to get away from the house. He was also probably bailed out a lot, which is why he at times becomes happy-go-lucky, or leaves others to clean up his messes. Think of a chaebol's son (son of a rich person lol) being bailed out a lot, and ends up not being able to clean up his messes. Buddhist shrines are tiny cabinet-like altars that contain the photo of the deceased, and they're usually opened up on death anniversaries or new years or whenever there's a day of the dead celebration something, like hungry ghost fest or something. Offerings can be placed in front of the cabinet, along with candles and incense sticks. Again, as this implies that Shirou came from a prominent family, his mother's shrine altar is probably huge AF. P49 "Aoi, come meet your great-grandmother. Mother, this is my granddaughter, Aoi." In front of the large Buddhist shrine, I was introduced to the dead. So many apples with a lovely color were offered, and as a child that left a strong impression on me. The incense stick's fragrance, within the swaying smoke rising up... The red color that was projected looked lovely. I didn't understand how to pay respects to someone that I didn't know. But the blurred vision of grandpa's side profile, up until now I didn't see it, it was a person who was suffering in loneliness... I could only remember it now. "Aoi, wait here for a bit..." After that, grandpa talked to two of his male relatives, and on the tatami floor of the residence, I waited for him. There was a garden connected to the veranda, and red dragonflies were flying in and out, dartingly through the window. I wondered why I was there alone...As I was sitting on the veranda, looking at the evening sky's madder red color, I started to ponder. Everywhere I go my heart always feels wrenched as I always felt that I was an outsider, but staying here in this residence, it didn't feel bad. It's easy for this old house to draw in Ayakashi, but I couldn't feel anything evil. Being guarded somehow, I could remember that place had a sense of calm and peace. P50 I didn't think that there would be anyone visiting or encroaching the confines of that place. "Are you.. A human?" Suddenly, there was someone at the gate. Before I realized it, a young boy was standing beside me. The boy seemed to have orange hair**, I thought that he was a humanoid Ayakashi, and my body stiffened. He's not a human-ish Ayakashi... At best, he is a lower-grade elementary school student. A child. But as I stared at the child in front of me, looking deeper at his essence, his eyes were not those of a child's. "I'm... A human too." I answered with a low voice, and as that child's face remained the same, he nodded over a serving tray that he was carrying. Sliced apples were arranged on a glass plate, and there was a glass of milk on the tray too. "Mommy told me to bring these to you." I humbly took these, and the kid frettedly ran away as if he was escaping. At that moment, he really did acted somewhat like a child. While running, what seemed like a mother's scolding voice called out "Akane, stop running!" T/N: It's not an ayakashi, it's zappy boi Zenitsu wahahaha I have zero regrets and yeah I know Zappy boi had brown hair before getting struck by lightning. But seriously, it seemed that based on the stuff here, Shirou's family can see Ayakashi, as Zappy boi Akane and Aoi can see them, like he did. Honestly, the color-name puns are just too much lololol P51 That kid, his name was Akane. It was the sky's color, and was the name of the red dragonflies. The skin of the sliced apples were made into bunnies** and they looked cute, and I could feel the love of the mother living in that house. Could the child also have eaten this everyday, I wonder. Using the fork beside the apples, I stuck this on the apples and ate them from behind. "Oh, they're sweet." Also, they were cold. These were cooled inside the refrigerator, and the coldness felt good on my throat. Somehow, while drinking the milk and eating the apples, it became a memory I longed for. A child. Yes, a child who had no idea how autumn feels like. I couldn't have it anymore. But whenever I see apples and momiji, I remember that meeting that only happened once.

Boom, boom..... When I woke up, within that pitch blackness was an old banquet hall inside a grotto. T/N: Bunny apples are fun to make and fun to eat, try them out. I think I saw some in Kaicho wa Maid-sama once, but that was ages ago lol P52 A large alter was built, a while ago, in front of me. All around it were countless food offerings. Countless candle flames were lit, flowers and fruits and a pig's head**, deer horns and other stuff were arranged there as offerings too. "Wh... What is this?" In front of me, the drummers were also dancing, they seem to be holding and continuing a ceremony, and these were the mysterious Ayakashi with monkey masks. "Miko-sama" "You have awakened." They were all whispering in a low voice. Miko-sama? "Uhm... Are you.. worshipping me?" Having no idea what was happening, I asked them in a courageous voice. But the gathered Ayakashi that were wearing a straw raincoat and monkey masks, why did they all went "yes, milady, yes milady" and turned around? "Human girl, you are the Kaku-zaru** village's priestess." "You shall save us from calamity..." These Ayakashi called Kaku-zaru, for a while have been worshipping me. I don't feel anymore danger, but this situation has gone nuts. T/N: They got hold of Inosuke's boar head lolol I still have zero regrets Nihongo fun fact, when forming compound words, the first syllable of the second word gets a tenten, which looks like a quotation mark. For example, the word HIDARIGAWA (left side) is made up of 2 words: hidari=left, and kawa=side, and because the syllable KA becomes GA when you add a tenten, KAWA becomes GAWA. Another example, the word for three thousand, SANZEN, is made up of san=three and sen=thousand, but because SA becomes ZA when you add a tenten, SEN becomes ZEN. Which is why I made it KAKUZARU here, there's no furigana in the text so I just assumed that this rule works. I could have just made it into Kakuriyo Monkey but then where's the fun in that lol. I'll probably put shit like this here, so that by the end of however much chapters my body can upload here, we've all learned some tiny Nihongo bits. I'ma gonna drag you all with me bwahahahahaahaa! P53 "Uhm.. I came from a fruit orchard along a mountain. I would want to go back now..." The monkey masks suddenly stared up. The masks had a strong impact on me, and I unconsciously gulped. This has a different atmosphere, compared to when I'm with the usual Ayakashi I have met. In a way, this unexplored region seemed to house a tribe. "You're a Miko." "No, I'm not a Miko, because I'm just a human." I flatly refused them, but they started to gather as they were whispering. "Miko-sama, with our offerings, we are requesting of you. This is our sacrifice..." "Uhm.. Sacrifice?" After saying that, is seemed that they didn't listen. Nevertheless, when they pulled out a rope I was shocked, they were pulling along a handsome, black-haired guy with a long piece of rope... "What the... They tied up Odanna-sama like a slave!" In front of me, surely without a doubt, they have brought along Tenjin-ya's Odanna-sama, the younger version. That appearance doesn't give off his aura of being Tenjin-ya's master, after all, they don't know who it was. B-b-b-b-but, isn't that disrespectful? If the people in Tenjin-ya saw this they'll bring upon a wrath of a sea of fire! P54 Speaking of Odanna-sama, he was restlessly looking around, and once when he found me on the bluish altar, he smiled at me childishly. As expected from someone so composed. It's better to be cheerful. "Miko-sama, we found this person loitering around outside the village." "Please have your way with this sacrifice. We can boil, then roast, then eat him." No no no, a human girl can't eat Ayakashi! "Then quickly untie him! That person is a distinctly emiment man!" "Yes, milady--" While the Kaku-zaru were being told what to do, they unfastened Odanna-sama's ropes. "Hmmmmph. Could it be that when you saw me tied up, you were surprised?" "You don't have a face that looked surprised. Might you have been enjoying yourself? Speaking of, how did you got captured so easily?" "I was looking for you, and I ended up in the Kaku-zaru's village. I thought it was easier to get caught as an adult in order to get in. As a result, I got here. When I met you here, everything went OK." "So it's OK to meet Odanna-sama here.." When the Kaku-zaru saw Odanna-sama and I, they started to talk in hushed voices. They were an eerie bunch. Why on earth did they bring me here, what do they plan to do? "Oh dear..." P55 Odanna-sama hit his hand on his waist, and it transformed as he dispelled it. Normally, people would be surprised and exclaim "It's Tenjin-ya's master!", but, here, the Kaku-zaru only shook their heads questioningly. What the.. They only kept silent and didn't say anything, so Odanna-sama only cleared his throat with an "ahem". "Aoi, this place is the heart of Hyakumeyama. I knew that inside this mountain, there is a hidden village of the Kaku-zaru, but this is the first time I've taken a visit. At any rate, the Kaku-zaru's village is in the territory of the Northern Lands." "Whaaaa-t. So.. We're already in the Northern Lands?" "Now that you mentioned it, yes. But the North-eastern lands were supposed to have a boundary..." Upon hearing loud drumming sounds again, Odanna-sama stared at the ceremony that the Kaku-zaru were performing in front of the large altar. "These Kaku-zaru were from an old era, wherein they were taken here by a Miko, a human priestess, which is now forbidden. Each time a human girl comes here, she becomes a replacement for the Miko, and she becomes worshipped by them." "So in this case, I was kidnapped to become worshipped here?" "But, well, this curiosity is rather odd. No matter how many human girls they worship, if it's against their will, being taken here feels like a punishment. But for this, I wonder what their probable reasons were for moving and leaving the village..." At the same time, the drumming sounds suddenly stopped. The door of the old tomb opened, and an old Kaku-zaru came in. P56 "The respectable elder... Has come!" That person has the longest straw raincoat in the bunch, and somewhat wears a necklace made out of bones, as well as having a mask of an old sleepy monkey. While walking with a cane, he was supported by a Kaku-zaru who was near the offerings, and sat in front of the altar where I was. "Miko-sama, we are the humble descendants in this village. For today, we beseech you." Everyone went "Yes, milady--", and bowed deeply once again. What the heck is going on.. "Uhm.. Respectable elder? What is all this For a while now, you've been saying stuff about worshipping, why on earth is that?" "Brigands from the far north has come to our village, and has looted and plundered." "Bandits?" Odanna-sama and I looked at each other's faces. He suddenly seemed to remember something instantly, and he placed his hand on his chin as he narrowed his eyes. "Bandits came from the far north.. Could it be that, they're the Ozuma gang?" "Odanna-sama, you know of them?" "Yes. They came from the Great Glacial Mountain Range of the Far North, and I've heard stories that in nearly every mountain here and there they were wreaking havoc and violence. But unexpectedly, you're asking for help from the North-eastern lands connected to the mountain of Hyakumeyama?" Aa a Hachiyo of the North-eastern lands, might he have not noticed of their situation? His facial expression suddenly became grave. P57 "Say, what on earth did the bandits do to this village?" After I tried asking, each of the Kaku-zaru started groaning in low voices. It was a bone-chilling sound and it pierced through my body. "We already have become the Ozuma-gang's minions." "Hm, in what way?" "The Ozuma-gang are bandits composed of about 20 individuals that move around. Each one has a jurisdiction over one mountain, as well as a minion that goes in each of the mountains, and like the other mountains we have become under one group that only keeps on increasing." The respectable elder has started to retell the story emotionally. "The day when those brigands came to this village,they broke through everything and pillaged, they violently wounded our villagers. We have no means or ways to retaliate so we just surrendered, and we became under the control of those thugs. After that, those brigands started to enter this village's stronghold, and every night they celebrated in our banquet hall. They just ate all of the village's food in reckless abandon, drank our liquor dry, and became even more violent when drunk. Half of the food we were saving in this village has already been eaten. At this rate we will not even last until winter." "Oh, I see. To summarize, you have been deeply troubled by it." Because of that, they have explained why they have abducted me, and why they were asking help from the gods. "Miko-sama. Please, we beg of you, save us---" The other Kaku-zaru who were also bowing down and worshipping me, also beseeched and prayed. Even though they show signs of just imitating what they think what a god must do, the surrounding atmosphere of desperation made me want to help them, but regarding that, I am just a normal human girl who has no means to easily resolve the issue. P58 "Respectable elder, have you gotten in touch with the Hachiyo of the North?" From here, Odanna-sama asked the question with a commanding voice. The respectable elder raised his face, stared unblinkingly at Odanna-sama's majestic pose. "Oh my.. You, are you not Tenjin-ya's Master?" "Indeed, I am. Finally, you have taken notice of me." "This is a bit too bad, isn't it, Odanna-sama?" After having his fun hiding, then finally being found out, Odanna-sama's face got a bit bored and sullen. But the respectable elder took off his mask, and bowed his head deeply. His monkey face seemed to have remained the same, but there were deeply-etched wrinkles on it, which definitely showed his very old age. The other Kaku-zaru didn't seem to be fazed with Odanna-sama. This was as otherworldy, remotely and as detached to the outside world as it can get. "Please give us your permission, Odanna-sama!" "Oh, do not worry, it's fine. However, the North's Hachiyo.. Can he not do it?" "Yes. We have not received any help from the North's Hachiyo. That is out of the question right now, as the Hachiyo has turned a blind eye on the arrival and movements of the brigands." P59 "I knew it..." "What, how can you say that, Odanna-sama?" I couldn't follow how the conversations flowed. During such times, when called for, a Hachiyo doesn't comply with the wishes of the people of the land? It seems to be like that here, in the Northern Lands. While placing his hand on his jaw, Odanna-sama explained to me the situation. "Apparently, the Northern Lands have a problem in their hands. The other name for this land is called "The Land of Glaciers", and is Kakuriyo's largest land area, and in this land there is a historical giant ice castle. But because the nature of this place is harshly cold, it is undoubtedly the most difficult to live alongside that harshness. The current Hachiyo holds a strong influence as a distinguished Ayakashi, and has been able to create stability within the boundaries of the Northern Lands.. But after countless years, that Hachiyo has succumbed to an illness." Really-- Prior to this, the Southern lands were deeply concerned with handling a unique problem, but even here in the Northern lands they also had problems. "Well,now that the entirety of the land is in chaos, from now on we must strike back at the bandits that have been having their ways in expanding their territories in the mountains here and there. But the Ozuma-gang.. They're an especially powerful bunch. Nonetheless, since I came from the North-eastern Lands which I have control over, I think we can apply some mugwort and moxybust them out." Odanna-sama said all of those standing tall and with a suave look. As if holding on to those words, the Kaku-zaru's elder who was previously losing hope suddenly, and with fire opened his eyes. "We cannot call upon the North's Hachiyo anymore. But can we impose upon the master of Tenjin-ya, along with the Miko-sama? P60 Please, for the sake of our village, make those bandits leave us!" "Ohh. But you kidnapped my new wife who fell inside a hole, isn't that request a bit selfish? And what's more, you also restrained my hands." It's not like that, that was pretty much my own fault, and it's why Odanna-sama's behavior was incomprehensible. "It's a rare chance that we got to enjoy apple-picking, but you have interrupted our date, Aoi and I. If Aoi hated me because of what I did, what then? Hm?" "Odanna-sama, right now you're being too selfish and holding grudges. Moreover, at this point I can't hate you..." "Really, Aoi? If that's the case, do you like me?" "Nah, I don't know." I replied a considerably appropriate answer to Odanna-sama, who was brimming with expectations. With such a frank answer, Odanna-sama felt dejected and with a disheartened look hunched his back and sat alongside the already sitting Kaku-zaru. Well, that was indeed depressing... "Well then, where is the Ozuma-gang right now?" Odanna-sama continued the conversation with a blank face. "They were in a nearby mountain territory yesterday, and tonight they announced that they will be coming here, to eat and feast in the banquet hall." P61 I caught a glimpse of Odanna-sama agreeing and nodding. "Aoi, what do you think we must do?" "Ehh? Me?" Him seeking for my opinion was very unusual. I thought for a bit, and answered in all honesty. "These people, I think it's a pity that the food they have now won't last until after winter.." "Hahaha, as expected of you, you were worried more about their food. Even though my companion was kidnapped to be worshipped, you were still the same, your nature of involving yourself with Ayakashi and their food still came out." "Even if I fell and rolled down a hole and everywhere hurts, I don't think I'm in any other kind of danger." "What the.. You got hurt?! Let me look at you to see if you got bruised--" "Odanna-sama, this isn't the time to talk like that--" This time my words were taken as a harsh reply by Odanna-sama, and despite the conversation getting derailed due to inappropriateness, I returned it to its original traction. Seeing the situation as such, the Kaku-zaru seemed to be perplexed. "Ahem, Well, I am also a Hachiryo. This may be the Northern Lands' problem, but I wouldn't know if the bandits may have brazenly invaded the North-eastern Lands. As such, repelling them from here is my job. I have a deep consideration of Aoi's heart, but I can lend you my hand." P62 "Ohhhhhh.." Hearing Odanna-sama's words, everyone seemed to have more hope, and they raised their voices with relief. "A normal ogre would always back out and retreat, but now you have become Kakuriyo's dark hero!" "My soon-to-be wife wouldn't like that." "You've said that already, why are saying that again?" "There are two chairs for two people on that altar, it somehow vaguely seems to be for a king and queen." "Well, that seems to be a fun situation, isn't it Odanna-sama?" Odanna-sama's reception may have been weird and without familiarity, but I think they were sincere. But... "Alright then. Since you said so, Aoi go back to Tenjin-ya." "Whaaat?" All of a sudden, Odanna-sama commanded me to return! Even though he said "I have consideration for Aoi”! "Wh-- Why? I wanted to help in any way too--" "That's out of the question. Those bandits are armed, and a despicable bunch. Having a human girl's body, you'll be in danger, and that is terrifying--" "So that being the case, Odanna-sama is not in danger?" "What's that? Are you.. Worrying for me?" P63 As Odanna-sama was peeking at my face, his face immediately showed a naughty smile. "I'm an ogre. I am different from the weak Aoi. This time your cooking skills can't resolve it." "Th... That I can understand.." Surely, I wonder if I can't get any stronger. Until now it was different, and I wondered if there's a possibility that I can fight with arms? But.. "But, I was thinking of helping up with the cooking back at the banquet hall..." "Again, when it comes to that you're still planning to cook..." Odanna-sama looked at me with a puzzled look, and I prepared myself. "But.. Ah, I see, there's more, if we add sleeping drugs to their food, when they get sleepy won't it be easier to beat them?" "What?" Hearing a mediocre yet dangerous suggestion, Odanna-sama got startled. Even the Kaku-zaru got shocked and couldn't move. As expected, the tactic was such a cliche. 'What the.. What is this atmosphere? I know it's too common. It's a joke." "No, it was so you, Aoi. I guess, you being Shirou's granddaughter, you thought of that." "You guess?" P64 "No, Aoi you had suffered and fought in so many battlefields that you have become resourcefull all around, that's a housewife!" "What the.. You don't have to follow me around against your own will, Odanna-sama--" I realized that this was much like Grandpa's style, and I saw that I have come so far. "However, this isn't exactly classical, so I don't think that it's diabolical. Yes. The mountain apples that we picked, and when we use the Hyakumeyama momiji branch, we can probably make it good." Despite my cliched suggestion, Odanna-sama seemed to have openly agreed to it. He tapped on my shoulder with his hand, and his face turned into an evil ogre. "Aoi, you can definitely depend on your special skills."

End of Chapter 2, Volume 6. Previous - Chapter 1 Next - Chapter 3

Volume 1 Translations by Kakuriyo-translations

Prologue Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4

I translated Volume 1 Chapter 5 here

References:

Wonderful site for the youkai references

Other stuff I used to do this: Kodansha Kanji Learner’s Dictionary (you can buy here, I’m not sponsored btw). I was about to buy the older edition but then the newer one came out 2013 so I bought that instead. Worth buying since I was able to find nearly all of the words I needed just by stroke pattern alone.

Merriam-Webster's Japanese-English Dictionary (the red-covered 1996 version is apparently out of print right now). This is what I have been using for a very long time, I bought it when I was still a fetus (yes I am old so what lol), and after so many years, when compared to newer editions, I still prefer this one since its entirety is Japanese-English, the English to Japanese gloss are just 16 pages tops, so you get more Japanese words for your buck. But that’s just my opinion, maybe other people prefer the Jap-En x En-Jap IDEK.

Basic online dictionary, Jisho. Knowledge of verb conjugations and other words are necessary since not all have entries.

If you can read Japanese, you can buy the whole set in Amazon Japan, they’re shipping worldwide now, I think.

#kakuriyo no yadomeshi #kakuriyo no yadomeshi light novel #kakuriyo no yadomeshi english fan translations #kakuriyo no yadomeshi volume 6 #kakuriyo no yadomeshi volume 6 chapter 2 #kakuriyo no yadomeshi light novel english fan translation

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boorishbint · 4 years

Note

Joxter stinky (I love him but he stinky) (for the prompts thing)

Moomin stops dead in his tracks, unsure.

Moomins are creatures of many talents. Explorers, storytellers. Handsome and Moomin thinks himself a touch braver than the average creature also, if he does say so himself. They are creatures of friendships and warm hearths. And they are always creatures of exceptionally large and sensitive noses.

Though perhaps on this occasion too sensitive.

He’s on the wood path, making his way back from a misadventure with Sniff and Littly My that has ended with her chasing the former back round the meadow. But something has stopped him and that something is right up his nose.

It’s a musky, damp smell. A touch heady, too. Like stuffy perfume but the kind that’s been sprayed on well-worn clothes that were then left out in the rain, and then not dried but instead crumpled in a corner to grow very damp and unpleasant. And also perhaps dipped in old cooking oil that lingers with meat long discoloured.

Not that Moomin is to be specific about it. But the long and the short of it is, it’s a very strong and very unpleasant smell and Moomin stops, quite confused as to where such a thing could ever come from.

He isn’t confused long, as Moomin takes one turn around a tree and finds the offending creature. Which only serves to stun Moomin more.

To say Moomin has never seen a creature of the like would be a lie. For he very much has but that like is Snufkin, and it must be quite impossible for these two someones to have anything in common.

Yet.

The creature is taller, like Snufkin had been tugged out in places like old elastic. He’s lying down in some long grass that sprouts by a tree, a strikingly similar hat over his face as he apparently sleeps. He’s got heeled boots crossed at the ankle and a long, rope-like tail that coils over his lap.

‘Ho there?’ Moomin asks, nervous but he comes close all the same. The creature moves to tilt his head back with dark paws, black like soot.

‘Ho here,’ he replies, accent familiar too. Moomin frowns. ‘Why look! A Moomin!’

‘Uh. Yes,’ Moomin says, thrown. ‘Who are you?’

‘The Joxter.’

‘What’s a Joxter?’

‘Not a Joxter,’ the Joxter corrects, sitting up and replacing his hat on his head. His face is sharp, with a pointed nose and unkempt fur that sticks out at odd angles from his cheeks. ‘The. Though if I’m an anyhting, it’s a Mumrik.’

Ah, so that’s it then, Moomin thinks. The same as Snufkin but most certainly not either. Snufkin can be a bit scruffy but Moomin has never thought him to smell outright unpleasant. The Joxter most definitely smells unpleasant. Moomin has never met another Mumrik before and wonders if they are all as different.

‘I see,’ Moomin says cautiously. ‘And what brings you to Moominvalley, Joxter?’

‘I’m looking for someone. And also possibly a house, if it happens to be the same direction as my someone. Perhaps you know it, being a Moomin yourself.’

‘Which house?’ Moomin asks, suspicious.

‘Moominhouse. Surely you must know it as you wouldn’t be as unlucky as to have family near and not know them,’ the Joxter says before a strange expression flickers over his angular face. ‘Terrible thing that, you know.’

‘I know it as it’s my house,’ Moomin says and the Joxter’s ears prick up, their points like arrowheads. ‘Well, my father built it…’

‘Did he now,’ the Joxter says, sounding interested. But instead of moving, he digs around in the pocket of his tattered smock and takes out a pipe. ‘That’ll do nicely, little Moomin.’

Moomin bristles. ‘I’m not little.’

The Joxter looks over his pipe as he bites on the end of it, fishing now for matches it seems. ‘No. I suppose one could you accuse you of much but not being little.’

The bristle grows. The Joxter lays back further on his grass as he lights his pipe. He blows out long streams of smoke from his large nose and it clouds up and right into Moomin’s face. The idea of that coming into the house makes Moomin grit his teeth.

‘That- er, tobacco you’re smoking there smells rather strong,’ Moomin says, hoping he’s not being rude in saying so but his eyes are watering. The Joxter blows smoke rings.

‘It’s not tobacco,’ the Joxter says and Moomin waves a paw as the smoke rings hit him on the snout.

‘All the same,’ Moomin says, holding his breath. ‘I think I saw some mint leaves a ways back, I can get you some before coming to the house if you like?’

The Joxter takes a deep puff of his pipe, eyes fixed onMoomin’s face. Moomin tries not to shrink away but really, this creature has the most unnerving eyes he’s ever seen. Blue like paint.

‘Are you saying you don’t like the way smell, troll?’

‘No, no! Not at all, I just thought- well, you know!’ Moomin is babbling and his fur sticks up straight all over as he flushes from ears to toes. ‘You might want to clear that pipe smoke from your breath before company.’

The Joxter seems to think on that for a moment.

‘It’s not just the pipeweed you’re taking offence to.’

That may be true but Moomin was raised better than to admit such. But at the very least, if this shabby vagabond is to be in his house then the pipeweed is the one he may be able to somewhat solve.

‘Well, you’ve clearly been travelling a long ways,’ Moomin says in what he feels is a diplomatic manner. The Joxter’s tail flicks. ‘I can show you to the stream if you’d like the chance to freshen up a bit better.’

‘Need the smell,’ the Joxter says bizarrely as Moomin can’t think as to why anyone would want this musky, cloying scent. The Joxter taps his nose. ‘Otherwise how will my son find me? Only polite to give him fair warning.’

‘Your son?’ Moomin asks, suddenly very curious. ‘Who’s your son?’

‘It’s the least of what noses are for, you know,’ the Joxter says sagely though he looks far from anything of the like. ‘Especially when he was blessed with mine.’

Moomin tries not to be offended at how he’s been ignored and decides that he doesn’t like this Joxter very much. Or indeed at all. Time to write off this whole thing, Moomin thinks and with any luck, the breeze will keep the scent behind him.

‘Well, then,’ Moomin says, brushing at his coat awkwardly and the Joxter looks like he might smile. ‘Good luck with that then. I hope you have a pleasant day and your son finds you.’

‘I hope that every day, little Moomin,’ the Joxter says and Moomin chews the inside of his cheek. The Joxter laughs full of smoke. ‘Sorry. Big Moomin.’

Moomin doesn’t think that’s better but he’s quite out of patience now. He bids goodbye and heads along, hoping that he not have the bad run of it to cross paths with the Joxter’s son, who Moomin doesn’t doubt to be just as unpleasant. For what else could the son of a Joxter be?

#we stan this man who smells of mugwort and freshly pinched squirrells #also moomin has many talents #using his brain in this instance is not one of them #prompt #my writing #snufkin #joxter #the joxter #moomintroll #fic #smoking

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precuredaily · 4 years

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Precure Day 185

Episode: Yes! Precure 5 37 - “Operation Healthy Coco” Date watched: 14 May 2020 Original air date: 21 October 2007 Screenshots: https://imgur.com/a/Sc5B6vA Transformation Gallery: https://imgur.com/a/6k6SzS0 Project info and master list of posts: http://tinyurl.com/PCDabout

what has been seen cannot be unseen

I might get some crap for this but I don’t particularly like this episode either. I think Bloody just had an absolutely fantastic introduction so everything after it for a while is going to feel a bit lackluster. Not to say it doesn’t have some great moments, but.... well, you’ll see.

The Plot

Coco has been scarfing down the cream puffs lately, and the girls are starting to notice when he struggles to push himself up. He appears very rotund as a fairy, but transforms human and says he’s fine. However, Nuts lifts his friend’s shirt to prove otherwise.

make of that what you will

We are never shown exactly what he looks like, but the girls responses tell us all we need to know. Urara in particular is fairly blunt, saying he had a fat and pudgy stomach. Nozomi is pretty okay with it, but she changes her tune when Karen and Rin point out that the problem is his diet and lack of exercise, not just getting chubby. Milk takes charge and puts him on a diet.

Over in Nightmare, Kawarino offhandedly mentions that Gamao was useless, which disturbs Bunbee because he didn’t realize his last employee had been so carelessly killed. Hadenya tells him to get over it and then sets out.

Coco’s diet is going well, except for all the times he tries to sneak into the kitchen in the middle of the night to grab some cream puffs, or sneak some into his lunchbox. He gets outright depressed when he can’t eat some, so the girls conspire with Milk to make him a special meal. It goes about as well as the last time they tried to cook together. One night, Coco sneaks out of his room to the kitchen for some cream puffs, and instead finds the best gag in the episode: the fridge is completely empty except for an exercise wheel.

I just imagine Nuts going through the effort to empty the fridge and store all the food somewhere else, all so he could put this wheel in there when Coco inevitably tried to sneak a bite. So yes, Nuts shows up and says getting exercise is important as well as he demonstrates the use of the wheel. A+ television here.

Another day, Coco is out walking and smells the all-too familiar scent of choux creme. He finds a food truck selling them, and the sweet lady who runs it (who is definitely not Hadenya) offers him free samples!

He almost takes it, but he thinks about the girls, Milk, and even Nuts all working hard to help him eat more healthily, and refuses. Hadenya wolfs down the plate and then turns the food truck into a Kowaina, and throws Coco into the cabin, high enough where he’d hurt himself if he jumped. The girls catch wind of this and show up to fight. They feel their hands are tied because they don’t want to hurt Coco, and Hadenya says she’ll give him back if they give her the Dream Collet. She further taunts them by saying Coco ate cream puffs. However, what is supposed to be a damning claim gets brushed aside because aside from not being true, the girls know Coco has a stronger will than that, and he wouldn’t break his vow like that. Dream persuades Coco to jump so that she can catch him, and then they safely take out the Kowaina.

Back at Natts House, the girls surprise Coco with the fruits of their labor: special vegetarian cream puffs! Coco can see the burns and cuts on their bodies as a sign of how hard they worked so he tries one, and it’s delicious! But then Milk steps in to say he shouldn’t have any more or he’ll relapse on his diet, and tries to eat the rest. Karen points out that Milk has been eating an awful lot lately, and has gotten rather chubby herself. Everyone agrees Milk should get some exercise as well, and the last scene of the episode would be great for the “Inhuman Anime Girl Sounds” Twitter, as Milk lets out a cry.

The Analysis

If you’re not aware, Japan is a very skinny culture, with an obesity rate of about 4% (compare to the US’s 40+%), and in 2008 the federal government enacted the Metabo Law which set a universal maximum acceptable waist measurement for men and women ages 40 to 75, with financial penalties for local governments and companies that had large levels of noncompliance. I couldn’t find a whole lot of information on stigma against overweight people in daily life, but in general the only socially acceptable fat people are sumo wrestlers. All of that is to say that, while they do mostly treat Coco’s weight as the butt of the joke, there is some progressive thinking going on as well, in that their concern is less purely that he’s getting fat as much as it is the fact that he’s not eating a balanced diet. It’s an important distinction to make, and the driving force of the rest of the episode is getting him to eat healthy, not JUST losing weight. It’s not a bad premise but I don’t think they make the most of the idea, the episode is largely comprised of gags about Coco trying to sneak a bite and being told “no”.

Most notably, Nozomi doesn’t seem very bothered by Coco’s weight gain. She takes it in stride, saying a little fat isn’t so bad. It’s only when they mention his unhealthy diet that she says “oh no that’s not okay” and that’s a pretty good way to take it. After all, if he’s chubby, there’s more of him to love, but if he’s not healthy, then he may die an early death. Perspective.

Now, it seems like they writers are trying to drawing a comparison between Coco and Hadenya with her remarks about eating everything, as if eating makes you a bad person, or being fat is evil, but...... it just doesn’t really make a whole lot of sense. She’s evil because she takes enjoyment in the suffering of others, Gamao was evil because he didn’t care about the feelings of others and just wanted personal gain, neither of them were evil because of their eating habits. It’s a weird thing to throw in there and it doesn’t tell us anything more about Hadenya except that she’s impulsive, so...... it falls flat. Honestly the most interesting thing she did this episode was try to poison Coco..... at least I think that’s what the goal was? She ate them herself when he refused so maybe they were fine but then what was her goal? just to say “Haha you cheated on your diet and now the Precure won’t be friends with you, and they’ll hand over the Dream Collet”? That doesn’t make ANY sense, even if she planned to trap Coco in the Kowaina. And for that matter how did she even know he was on a diet? I would have assumed she was just tempting him because his love of choux creme is well-known, but when she’s taunting the cures she specifically lies and says he cheated on his diet, so...... it’s just weird. Come to think of it, poisoning him before they got the Dream Collet isn’t the smartest thing either, so it was just a bad plan all around. I applaud the plan if only for how extra she got with it, Hadenya isn’t typically one for disguises.

The highlight of this episode is easily the cooking segment. I would call that the saving grace, even. The comedy is so on point, I want to watch an entire series of these girls’ hijinks in the kitchen. The last time we got this was in episode 15, when they all cook for Nozomi’s ill mother, and well..... some of them have not learned. Karen still screws up portion sizes, Urara’s just kinda clumsy, and Komachi still wants to add youkan to porridge, although this actually works out. But anyway, the comic timing of their kitchen antics is absolutely perfect and I love how they play off of each other, with Rin and now Milk being the lone voices of reason. This is what Kirakira could have been (we’ll talk about that eventually). The payoff to it all is really good, too, the vegetarian choux cremes they make look delicious and if you check the gallery I included their detailed directions for making them. No portion sizes but it’s an idea to try out. Tag me if you do!

And lastly some bookkeeping:

The “dokkoisho” that Coco and later Milk utter when they fall is an old colloquial term, basically like “heave ho”. In general it implies putting strength towards something, and in this case suggests that they’re struggling to push themselves up because they’re heavy. From what I can tell, it originates with Hokkaido fishing villages and was popularized in their sea shanties.

The kowaina’s voice is higher pitched than normal, and I’m not sure why. It seems to be the same actress as usual.

The shot of Milk with the sign is very exploitable and my friend @precurehoroscopes has made a version you can play with:

Next time, man this series is full of ideas that would get explored fully in later shows isn’t it? Milk is rewriting the story of Cinderella with the girls as the characters and it’s..... a trip. Look forward to it!

Pink Precure Catchphrase Count: 2 kettei!

#Precure #Pretty Cure #Yes! Precure 5 #YPC537 #PCD185

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hufflewritings · 4 years

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A Pirate's Life for Me: part 5

Tags: @thomothy @sophiefrye22 @thebluebutterflyaffect

Dancing with Jack Ketch: to be hung

Knave: a servant boy or dishonorable man

It was high noon when Eric finished mopping the decks of the pirate ship, and now Pete ordered him to scrub the main spar of the ship with a rag and a bucket of soapy water. He had only been on the ship for half a day and was already being worked to the bone, his back and arms were beginning to feel sore. But he needed to keep working, he didn't want to be on Magnum's bad side. He continued to scrub until he felt someone pat his back rather harshly, prompting him to turn around only to see Pete look down at him with a grin.

"Well, color me impressed, lad. This ship 'asn't glistened like this in ages." Pete began, taking the rag from Eric. "But the Cap'n says that ye 'aven't eaten yet. So 'ow's about ye take a break an' get some grub?"

"A-Aye s-sir," Eric whispered as he sat the bucket down, looking around. "Wh-Where do I-?"

"One o' our cooks be preparin' it fer ye an' will brin' it to ye shortly. 'e dyin' to meet ye," Pete answered, picking up the bucket and tossing the rag in. "'e'll be 'ere shortly. Just wait where ye be."

Eric gave him a nod, watching as the quartermaster walked away, before noticing the pirate named John, casting him threatening glares, talking with a small group.

"Why does 'e get to eat early? we did nay get that there special treatment when we were 'ired." one of them murmured, giving Eric a dirty look.

Eric flinched as he turned away from them, clutching his leather vest tightly. He wanted to run when-.

"You're Eric right?"

Eric jumped turning around to see a pirate, holding a plate of fruits and meat, a warm smile on his face. The timid ego was quiet for a moment before clearing his throat, straightening his vest. "Uh, um yes- I mean Aye. I'm Eric. And uh um you are?" he asked, holding out his hand for him to shake.

"I'm cooking master Jim." He said with a smile, taking his hand and shaking it firmly. "But you can call me C.J. since my brother is named Jim as well."

"Wh-Who's your brother?" Eric questioned before watching C.J. pointing over to a man steering the ship, who looked exactly like C.J. minus the different outfits.

"That be him." C.J. began. "He and I are twins. Mother thought it easier if we had the same names." he chuckled before looking at the plate. "Well, I was ordered to bring ye some grub and so I brought you the best that this ship can offer. Don't want ye working on an empty stomach."

Eric smiled, taking the plate from C.J. "Thank you C.J. it's nice t-to meet a friendly f-face here."

"Ye, but don't be fooled by the Captain's harsh exterior. He's got a kind heart." C.J. shrugged. "Just chooses not to show it sometimes... Well, I'll take me leave then. Enjoy."

Eric waved C.J. off, before walking over to a lonely corner, where he sat, taking small bites of his food, thinking over what C.J. said. The Captain didn't seem... Too harsh to him... Was he like that to the others?... And what made him so different?

After he was finished, he walked around the ship looking for a place to discard the empty plate when he was shoved out of the way causing him to fall to his stomach.

"Watch it!" A pirate snapped, glaring at Eric before walking away.

Eric shook his head, lifting himself to his knees, about to grab the plate, when something grabbed him by his shirt, lifting him up in the air, causing him to yelp. He was slowly turned around, revealing that it was Magnum holding him up in the air with one hand, looking at him with a grin, chuckling to himself.

"The others can be a 'andful to deal with me lad. But ye'll get used to them." Magnum began, setting Eric gently down onto his feet, before helping him dust off. "Ye okay?"

"Aye Captain," Eric whispered casting his eyes on the ground, rubbing his hands together.

"LAND HO CAPTAIN!" A pirate shouted causing Eric to jump.

Magnum looked up to see that they were about to enter a giant cave, causing him to grin before turning to Eric, patting his back. "Ye be in fer a treat me lad, come."

Eric watched as Magnum walked to the front of the ship, before following him close behind, looking around the dark cave. He watched as Magnum grabbed one of the ropes, holding it tightly as he walked on the very edge, leaning forward as he stared ahead, able to see an opening in the cave. "HEAD ON THROUGH!" Magnum shouted. "AN' PULL THE MAINSAIL IN!"

As commanded, the pirates pulled the mainsail in as the entrance became narrower, the ship getting closer to the exit. Eric was blinded by the sudden light, causing him to rub his eyes, before opening them once more and what he saw left him in awe. Through the cave was what looked like a small city next to the shore that was surrounded by a huge cliff barrier. There were buildings and people laughing, singing, and fighting. The smell of food cooking filled the air and the sound of music rang through Eric's ear and all he could do was stare in shock. "Wh-Where are w-we?"

Magnum only chuckled as he turned to the timid ego, who was looking up at him in wonder. "This... here be pirate gulch... 'ome o' the deadliest pirates ye'll e'er see." he then turned to Eric hopping back onto the deck looming over the timid ego. "So I'd advise ye to stay close to the crew if ye want to stay alive." he smiled as Eric gulped, giving him a nod, causing him to chuckle, before walking ahead, the boy following him close behind. "CINCH THE SAILS AN' DROP ANKER CREW, WE'LL BE 'ERE AWHILE!"

After the ship was secure, Magnum and his crew walked onto the deck, heading into town. The streets were busy with people selling either food, livestock, or jewelry, all yelling their prices and what's for sale. It brought a smile to Magnum's face. He loved the loudness of the streets, it was home. However, he turned around to see Eric walking right behind him, following him like a lost puppy, looking around with timid eyes. He gave him a small smile before patting his back. Maybe the boy needed a distraction. "So, do ye 'ave any questions boyo?"

"Uh... W-Well... Wh-Why is Pirate g-gulch surrounded b-by a cliff?" Eric asked, looking up at Magnum.

"Oh, why fer protection me lad," Magnum answered with a smile. "No one other than us pirates knows about it."

"Why do p-pirates hide? And... Wh-who are they hiding f-from?" Eric whispered flinching when a person at a booth coped the head of a fish completely off.

"Well, sea creatures like sirens, ghost ships, everything." Magnum began before turning to Eric, stopping in his tracks. "An' worse o' all, the Royal Navy. Ye stay clear o' them me lad. No jolly will come o' it."

"Wh-What will happen i-if I do?"

Magnum only grinned, giving Eric a dark chuckle. "Then ye'll be dancin' with Jack Ketch."

Eric blinked in confusion before turning around, looking at Pete who was behind them the whole time, his eyes full of question on what he meant. It was until Pete made a hanging gesture when he realized what that meant causing Eric to gulp, standing closer to Magnum.

After strolling down the streets of pirate gulch, Magnum turned to the crew, watching as they all paused one by one. "Alright, crew! I 'ave important business to attend to, an' I wish not to be disturbed. So, yer assessment be to restock on supplies an' after go one o' the taverns get yourselves a drink. Ye've earned it."

Eric watched as the crew only cheered, before beginning to break up into small groups, going to stands or into taverns. He only stood there before feeling someone pat his shoulder causing him to look up, to see Magnum look at him with a smile.

"Find a crew to 'ang around. This here business be a private matter I be afraid." Magnum ordered gently.

"B-But... But I d-don't know who will-."

"Come with us." C.J. smiled pointing to his brother who just waved. "We're getting food supplies if ye want to join us."

"Good lads." Magnum cheered, patting C.J. and Jim's backs with a chuckle, before turning to Eric. "I'll see to ye later Eric. Pete, let's make 'aste!" he ordered as he walked away, Pete following close behind.

Eric watched them leave before feeling C.J. taking his hand, pulling him along. "Let's get to the market for fruit supplies." C.J. smiled placing Eric right between him and Jim, heading further into the market.

A few minutes later, Eric was watching J.C. and Jim as they were picking out fruits for the ship, along with livestock that they could cook with. Other than that he was watching the people of the market doing their work when he felt someone forcefully grab him by the shoulders and drag him away. He went to scream for C.J. when someone clamped his mouth shut. He watched as they dragged him into an ally way right next to a store selling fish. He was then slammed against the wall, causing him to yelp before looking up in horror.

It was none other than John and three other crew members looking at him with harsh grins, chuckling at his growing fear.

"Ye listen well an' ye listen jolly." John began with a growl, watching as Eric coward and squint his eyes shut. "I don't care if you were stranded or if you're really are a stowaway. But you will not last a week on our ship."

"I-I... I'm n-not-."

"An' another thin." he interrupted, watching as Eric pressed his mouth shut. "Ye may be the Cap'n new little pet, but that there doesn't mean that we be fixin' to give ye special treatment. Ye be no pirate! Hell, ye be not even a cabinboy. You're just a Lilly-livered knave."

Eric flinched squinting his eyes shut, fighting the urge to cry, but that didn't stop his eyes from filling with water.

"Now stay out o' me way, or there be consequences, savvy!?" John snapped.

"A-Aye!" Eric whimpered, before being yanked off the wall and thrown out of the ally, landing right into barrels of fish that he knocked over. Eric shook his head as he looked up to see John and his gang walk away, causing him to sigh in relief before hearing someone yelling.

"Who knocked over my barrels?!" a man snapped before he paused looking down at a frightened Eric. "You!" the man then reached to his side pulling out a dagger. "I'LL 'AVE YER AN' FER THIS!"

Eric gasped as he scrambled to his feet beginning to run, the man following close behind. He ran past dozens of people, trying to plow threw crowds, but the man was still on his tale and getting closer. He glances behind himself seeing the man reaching for him before he suddenly stopped. Eric then looked ahead seeing a cliffside. That he was about to fall off. He tried to slow down and skid to a stop but he went over anyway. He squints his eyes shut waiting for him to hit the ground below, but nothing happens. However, he felt a tug as he was hoist into the air causing him to open his eyes, staring right at captain Magnum, who was looking at him in confusion.

"What be ye doin' boyo?" Magnum questioned looking him over. "Ye could 'ave caught yer death-."

"Sir!" the man who was chasing Eric snapped with a scowl, pointing at Eric. "Unhand that there no jolly scoundrel so that I can-!"

Magnum's warm eyes suddenly became cold and callous once more as he let out a low growl, slowly turning to the man, who's scowl fell, being replaced with fear. Eric watched as the people around them gasped, backing away in fear.

"C-Captain M-Magnum?!" the man breathed as he backed away some more.

Magnum then gently sat Eric down, stomping toward the man, things around them shaking with every step he took. The towering pirate clenched his fist as he spoke. "An' just what be ye plannin' on doin' to me cabinboy?"

"He-He's y-your?-"

"An' I 'ope it be nothin' that could 'arm the poor lad. Because if that be the case." he suddenly grabbed the man by the neck and hoist him in the air, getting into his face, hearing the man choke within his grasp. "Then I'd 'ave to shoot ye out o' me canon. An' I've been dyin' to use 'her fer a while now. Though we don't want that right?" the man frantically shook his head. "Jolly, now go aft to yer 'ell 'ole ye call a fish shop an' leave me cabinboy alone savvy?!" the man nodded his head, causing Magnum to let him go, watching as he dropped to the ground before scrambling onto his feet and run the other way.

Magnum huffed as he straightened his coat turning to Eric who was looking at him in fear. Suddenly the coldness left Magnum's eyes as he walked over to the boy, looking him over. "Be ye okay? 'e did nay 'urt ye did 'e?"

"N-No. I-I'm o-okay." Eric whispered looking down.

"What 'appen to C.J. an' sail master Jim?"

"I g-got separated from them."

Magnum thought for a moment before turning to Pete who just shrugged. The captain hummed to himself before patting Eric's shoulder. "I suppose ye can come with me to the meetin'. Ye be me cabinboy after all. Besides, it might 'ave not been the best idea to let ye wander alone. Would ye like to accompany me?" he asked watching as Eric gave him a nod. "Jolly, but I must warn ye, no blabberin', or askin' questions, do as I say when we enter, an' whatever ye 'ear do not tell the crew anythin'. I'll tell them when I be ready to, savvy?"

"Aye Captain," Eric whispered cowering slightly.

"Jolly. Now come, we be fixin' to be late." Magnum quickly said as he began to walk down the street, Eric and Pete following close behind.

#captain magnum #eric derekson #markiplier egos #a heist with markiplier #my fics #my writings #a pirate's life for me

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axwalker · 4 years

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OTP Questions

These OTP questions were created by the amazing @mskaneko Thank you, hun! They were super fun to answer!! The AMAZING, INCREDIBLE mood board was a gift from @pedudley (I’ll never get tired of using this)

What other couples would your OTP get along with?

Olivia and Liam. I HC them together, and I think the four of them are very good friends. (followed closely by Max and Rashad)

Does either of them have secrets even the other doesn’t know?

They know almost everything about each other, but Drake never talks too much about his multiple conquests when he was single, and he doesn’t want to know a lot of details about Alexis’s old relationships either.

Who is the one that sees the big picture, while the other focuses on the small details?

Drake sees the big picture while Alexis focuses on the small details

Who does stuff on impulse?

Definitely, Alexis. She’s very spontaneous and does a lot of things just for the spur of the moment

What is their favorite holiday?

When they started their family they became fans of Christmas. Since Drake’s father and Lexie’s mother died when they were young, neither of them really celebrated it as children, so they tend to go big now

What is their favorite board game?

Drake “kicks ass” at Monopoly so it’s his favorite. Alexis loves getting revenge with Trivial Pursuit. Game nights at their house involve a lot of whiskey, competition and angry sex (sometimes after playing, sometimes during if they were playing by themselves)

Who would go out of their way to do something silly to make their partner laugh?

Alexis usually with Maxwell’s help.

Favorite canon moment of them?

Their kiss at the Beaumont Study, when they both realized their feelings were much deeper than they thought.

Least favorite canon moment of them?

It’s not canon for me but I really, really hated their huge wedding. It was the less Drake/Alexis moment EVER.

Who is the competitive one?

They’re both very competitive, but Drake is a bit more than her

Who likes to go on drives to nowhere in particular?

Drake, he loves to play some jazz or classic rock on his phone and drive silently to clear his head

Who sings along with the radio?

Alexis sings along with the radio every chance she gets, she usually dances too, which Drake absolutely loves

Who would accidentally set the kitchen on fire while cooking?

Alexis is a great cook but terrifyingly oblivious. So she already has. Twice.

Who is more seductive when they are drunk?

Drake is definitely a very cute drunk, Alexis is the seductive one

Who wakes the other up in the middle of the night to tell them a cool dream they had?

Drake does, Alexis usually forgets what she dreams.

Who asks weird questions in the middle of the night?

Alexis, she always thinks about the most random stuff in the middle of the night

Who likes to walk around the house naked and who tells the other to go put some clothes on?

Totally naked, no one. Alexis loves to walk around the house on her underwear, but Drake definitely DOESN’T tell her to put some clothes on. Drake sleeps naked, Alexis LOVES it

Who is always ready to have sex at any time, at any place?

They’re both extremely sexual, so they’re always looking for places to have sex. They’re both always ready.

Who likes to surprise the other with a lot of small random gifts?

They’re both constantly thinking about each other and they buy random things the other one would like. If Drake goes to the super-market he never forgets her favorite brand of chocolates, he also loves to go to the bookstore and pick a book he thinks she’ll like. Alexis loves to buy him goofy gifts like a mug with the inscription “Trust me, I’m a dogtor” on it. Drake would never accept it, but he only drinks from it.

Where did they take their first picture together?

Sightseeing in Rome after eating in the Italian restaurant.

Who knows the most useless facts?

Alexis, that’s why she loves Trivial Pursuit

Who is more likely to forget their own birthday?

Drake would be more likely to forget it, but Alexis makes such a big deal of it, that he won’t.

Which bad habit of their partner do they find the most annoying?

For Drake it’s how messy Alexis is, he’s not a maniac but she can’t seem to put anything back where it belongs. For Alexis, that he opens 10 bottles of water at the same time and has at least two in each room of the house.

Who is the better driver ?

They both think they are. Drake is more careful, Alexis is faster

Who is more likely to admit they are wrong in an argument ?

Neither of them, they’re both incredibly stubborn. But if someone has to give up, it would be Alexis.

What is something that reminds them of one another?

Drake always thinks about her when he smells cherries or listen to any rhythmic Spanish song. Alexis thinks of him with the smell of sandalwood and Whiskey and anything related to horses.

Would they get matching couple tattoos? If yes, what it would be?

They don’t have tattoos.

Who sleeps wrapped up in a cocoon of covers?

Neither, Drakes almost doesn’t use covers and Alexis sleeps wrapped up in his arms.

Who would win in a pillow fight?

Drake is bigger but Alexis is sneakier…

Who likes to take photos of the other when they’re not looking

Alexis has a hundred pictures of Drake sleeping on her phone, and she doesn’t know it but Drake loves to take pictures of her when she’s focused writing.He melts when she scrunches her nose.

Where would they go to get away from everyone else and just be alone?

They go camping. They love to hike, eat s’mores, drink whiskey and make love in front of the fire.

If they got to pick what one another wears for a day, what would one another wear?

Drake would pick a little white dress, he loves her legs and the color white because it brings out the color of her skin. Alexis will choose a shirt on denim because it’s completely him, she would ask him to roll up his sleeves though.

44. What do they love most about each other?

Drake loves that Alexis is lively and spontaneous and it drives him crazy how she can be very sweet and sexy at the same time. He admires her talent and how passionate she is. Physically, her legs and her smile.

Alexis is a sucker for Drake’s protectiveness. She loves his heart and how deep he cares when he loves someone. She admires his job as a veterinarian and that he’s always ready to help others. Her favorite physical feature it’s her eyes, his legendary smirk, and his big arms.

Bonus: 3 random HC about your OTP

1. Alexis had a traumatic experience when she was a teenager, only Drake knows about it, and has helped her to overcome it. He’s extremely protective of her.

2. Drake loved his birthdays as a kid but hated them after his father died, Alexis wants him to love them again so she tries to surprise him every year with something he loves a whiskey tasting, a fishing trip, etc.

3. They always compete to give the other the best anniversary possible.

4. I got giddy so another one. They have one daughter, Helena and two twin boys, Jackson and Ian.

Permatag: @mskaneko @burnsoslow @pedudley

Tagging other people that might want to play: @argylemnwrites @pug-bitch @drxkewalker

#drake walker #drake x mc #drakexmc #drake walker fanfic #drakewalker

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foodstreetsindelhi · 4 years

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Food Items to Have in Delhi

In the event that you ask a Delhiite what are two things that truly stand apart for them about the city, it would be the rich history and the mouth-watering food. Presently, I need to concede this blog sure got me all excited. It's intense being conceived in a city which offers such a rich decent variety of foods, add to that the reality I'm Punjabi, and kid do we love to eat! Delhi is a mixture of different societies and races who improve the assortment of the gastronomic range in the city.From Chandni Chowk to Majnu ka Tilla, Delhi is packed with numerous culinary joys. So with no further ado, I present to you my rundown of top 10 celebrated street food of Delhi. 1. Paranthas From being the ideal beginning to a "solid" morning in most Delhi family units, to a feast for hungry understudies and even a late-night nibble, paranthas are unquestionably on the highest priority on the rundown with regards to my preferred food in Delhi. Look over a plain one or select a stuffing of your decision - potatoes, cauliflower, radish, eggs, keema, bananas or even the previous evening's left over dal - the choices are in abundance. Where would i be able to attempt this dish? Paranthe Wali Gali in Chandni Chowk, whose past clients incorporate any semblance of Maharajah of Kashmir and even Prime Minister Nehru and his family; Moolchand Parathe Wala situated in South Delhi was SRK's preferred when he used to live in Delhi. 2. Chaat On the off chance that there is one thing that keeps the Delhi food scene ticking it's the Street Food. With an assortment that is unequaled, eating in the city of Delhi is an intense training in the history and culture of the spot. Chandni Chowk is without a doubt the Street Food Capital of Delhi, and keeping in mind that no manual can really pinpoint the best places for Chaat, there are some milestone food frequents that truly stick out. Obviously, in the event that you aren't happy to travel that far, fret not for there are a lot of choices for road food in Delhi. Where would i be able to attempt the dish? UPSC building, Shahjahan Road; Bittu Tikki Wala, Karol Bagh; Daulat ki Chaat, Chandni Chowk; Natraj Dahi Bhalle Wala, Chandni Chowk 3. Spread Chicken Here's an intriguing anecdote about the cause of one of the most satisfying dishes on this planet. It started during the 1950s in Moti Mahal Restaurant, Daryaganj, an area avoiding the Walled City. Known for its Tandoori Chicken, the cooks there incidentally hurled the sauce comprising of spread, tomato and chicken juices with roasted chicken pieces; the rest is history. Today, this dish can be found in pretty much every non-veggie lover eatery and expressway dhabas and is best delighted in with rice or naan. Where would i be able to attempt this dish? Moti Mahal, Daryaganj; Havemore, Pandara Road Understand more: The Best Luxury Hotels in Delhi 4. Kebabs Whoever thought flame broiled pieces of meat or fish marinated in fragrant Indian flavors couldn't give you bliss should reconsider. While we Delhiites have a great deal to be appreciative for to the Mughals, Kebabs are one of them. Regardless of whether it is Kebabs being conveyed to your vehicle, a quintessentially Delhi experience, to food slows down and high end cafés over the city, attempt this well known dish and you will be snared for eternity. Where would i be able to attempt this dish? Alkakori Alkauser, R K Puram; Ustad Moinuddin Kebabs, Lal Kuan; Ghalib Kebab Corner, Nizamuddin; Salim's Kebabs, Khan Market; Aap Ki Khatir, SDA 5. Chole Bhature Here's a suggestion: This dish is best delighted in on a vacant stomach. Rich, hot and substantial, this is one of the most well known Punjabi dishes and is certainly on my rundown of top 10 must-attempt dishes in Delhi. Try not to be astounded on the off chance that you discover it on the morning meal menu of eateries over the capital. You can discover this lip smacking dish at all food joints, be it neighborhood joints or cafés, given its prominence with delhiites. It is commonly went with Lassi. Where would i be able to attempt this dish? Sitaram Diwan Chand, Paharganj; Chache Di Hatti Kamla Nagar 6. Biryani A most loved of the Mughal Emperors, the Biryani has stood the trial of time and is today appreciated all over India. This poultry or meat based dish is set up in an earthen pot and the top is fixed with batter so the flavors, flavors and smells are absorbed. The Biryani encounters in Delhi fluctuate from the business chains and street side dhabas, to the Sufi sanctums and five-star inns. Where would i be able to attempt this dish? Dum Pukht in ITC Maurya; Al Kakori Al Kauser, R K Puram, Deez Biryani and Kebabs, Defense Colony 7. Nihari As you enter Old Delhi and stroll into the serpentine paths, you can't resist the urge to be attracted to the fragrance of one of the locale's mark luxuries, the Nihari. This rich, hot stock of moderate cooked meat is served nearby hot baked rotis or ideally khameeri rotis. The dish was a most loved inside the illustrious families, who used to devour it in the mornings. Today it fills in as the perfect sustenance for workers, cart pullers, coolies and numerous others hoping to launch their day. Where would i be able to attempt this dish? Bara Hindu Rao region; Karim's close Jama Masjid 8. Rolls Alright, so we won't remove the credit from Kolkata, where the first Kathi move formula was grown, however Delhi has its own tasty variations. From road slows down contribution an assortment of moves, to general stores loading up on solidified alternatives and even the elegant Delhi eateries, Kathi rolls are a befitting food choice for occupied Delhiites in a hurry. Where would i be able to attempt this dish? Nizam's, Connaught Place; Khan Chacha, Khan Market; Qureshi's Kabab Corner, South Extension-II 9. Momos This one packs the prize for being one of the most well known tidbits, be it in office buildings, birthday events or even mixed drink parties. It isn't phenomenal to discover merchants outside pretty much every place of business, lodging territory and commercial center selling Momos. These delicious dumplings are accessible in both veggie lover and non-vegan alternatives and are appreciated with the blazing red sauce. Where would i be able to attempt this dish? Kamla Nagar Market; Nagaland Food Stall in Dilli Haat; Sikkim House, Panchsheel Marg; Cafe Brown Sugar, GK advertise; Yashwant Complex, Chanakya Puri, Majnu ka Tilla, North Campus. 10. Treats You are presumably acquainted with this line utilized over all Delhi family units "Khaane ke baad kuch meetha ho jaye" ("Let's eat something sweet after a supper"). With the broad assortment of treats offered in the capital, it is difficult to state no. From the steaming hot Jalebis and lip-smacking Rabri Falooda, to imaginative Kulfis in flavors like Custard Apple, Tamarind and Aam Papad, the delightful Motichoor Ladoo produced using unadulterated desi ghee and Blueberry Cheesecake; Delhi sure loves its desserts! Where would i be able to attempt this dish? Giani di Hatti, Chandni Chowk; Old and Famous Jalebiwala in Chandni Chowk who has served big names like Late Raj Kapoor and Indira Gandhi; Kuremal Mohan Lal Kulfiwala, Chandni Chowk; Big Chill Cafe, Khan Market; Ghantewala Halwai, Chandni Chowk Since you know my rundown of top 10 well known dishes of Delhi, the time has come to take off and satisfy your taste buds. Remember to compose back with your preferred spot.

#foodstreetsindelhi

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lunaracarberry · 4 years

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Rona’s Journey

Rona Ni'ess woke with the dawn to a glorious summer morning. Her comfortable, somewhat burrow-like bedroom was lit up a pair of sun-chimneys reflecting light from the roof of her family's rof'orth. The building was one of the hillside house-compounds the Bilobi tribe commonly built as their dwellings, an elaborate but sturdy structure that housed the two dozen members of her family. Rona's room, as all the unattached young adults in the family, was carved deep into the hillside where it was cool in the summer and warm in the winter. The sun-chimneys allowed both light and air into the chamber, with screens to keep out the pests. It was a safe and cozy space. Rona was a young woman of average height for her tribe, with a slim and athletic body. Her skin was a pale brown, albeit seasonally darkened, and her hair was long, black and thick. She was naturally quite pretty, her quick smile and strikingly grey eyes complementing her toned, but still very female, form. Rona yawned and stretched, and dressed herself. Short leather breeches and a light hempen crop-top were suitable for the weather, as it was going to be quite warm quite soon. Early summer was generally a warm and humid time in the rugged region that the rest of the world knew as the Solbanian Hills. Rona ventured out to the bathroom first. The Bilobi, like many of the Solbanian tribes, had incorporated a limited amount of the "civilized" technologies, one of those being the blessing of running water in their dwellings. Other concepts such as glow-lights had not been embraced, the tribes choosing to use their metal resources to forge mainly weapons and tools. The Bilobi were a practical and resourceful people, and being in a state of perpetual near-war forced them to focus on defense and armament above all else. Out in the community area, various members of the family were already digging into a breakfast of jura, hearty cooked grains, the smell of sweet spices filling the room. Rona procured a cup of strong tea and a dish of the jura; her mother Nona, working in the kitchen, gave her a wink and a smile in passing. The matrons of the family took very good care of their flock, and were treasured for it; but Rona already knew that such a domestic life was not for her. Finishing her modest breakfast, Rona left the dishes for the younglings to wash and ascended the stairs to the top balcony. A couple of the elders were basking in the morning sun there. One was her great-aunt, Mida, and her life-partner Yari sat beside her holding her hand. Rona greeted them respectfully. "Bright morning, sh'wenga." Mida was an aged woman, but by no means infirm. Short of stature, she was still physically solid and her hair had not yet turned completely white. Rona was one of her favorite young people, and she smiled and held her hand out. "How is our little scout today? What are you up to, going out to steal some hearts, perhaps?" Rona blushed a little at that. Mida was always teasing her about how pretty she was, and how easily she would be able to sneak around and steal the boys' hearts away. "No, sh'wenga, I've no time for such prey today. I have some fishing to do." "Fishing?!" Yari chimed in. The tiny woman was still beautiful despite her hair being completely whitened by time. "Well, don't forget your elders, if you catch a fine trout!" Rona chuckled. "Of course not! I know how much you like a good fried trout. Is this clear sky going to hold up today, then?" Yari nodded, eyes flicking toward the horizon. "Nothing but sunshine today, dear. A fine day for fishing, and swimming." "Thank you, sh'wenga. I will seek out a suitable place for such ventures." Rona touched the elders' hands with her fingertips and went downstairs for her equipment. She filled her light pack with her fishing gear and a water flask, strapped on her weapon belt and her trusty tomahawk, and put on a sun hat to round out her ensemble. At the house entryway, her uncle Darib was on guard, casually sharpening a knife. He grinned at her cheerily and she gave him a quick hug. A veteran warrior, Darib had been one of her teachers in the skills of weapons. "Enjoy your day off, halita," Darib said as she sauntered out the door. Rona waved and set out down the path, humming a tune to herself. The songs of birds added counterpoint to her own as she walked, down the path to the main road and southward. Soon she reached the bridge that crossed over the Callahee RIver, although it was more of a stream here close to the headwaters. Up and over the next ridge the carefully paved path led, into the next valley where her friend Dugi lived. It was not a long distance, just enough to stretch her legs. She descended into a broad valley, where her friend's farm was built into the western hillside; one of many such structures lining the sides of the valley. The farm itself was a series of well-built terraces, spreading from the house at the top all the way down to the stream at the bottom of the valley. The path ran by the banks of the stream, and a ramp led up to the farmhouse at a gentle incline. Rona ascended the ramp, spotting Dugi on one of the upper terraces, working the plants. She called out a greeting. "Ho, Dugi!" Dugi was a mountain of a man already, even though he was barely a month older than Rona. His wide mouth split his bearded face with a smile when he saw her. "Ho, Rona!" She made her way along the terrace walkway to where he was, surrounded by young squash plants. "Whatcha up to today? I have the day off, want to go fishing?" "Oh, now, that is a tempting thought indeed," Dugi chuckled. "I need to finish clearing out these weeds before I can go, though." Rona eyed the patch of plants he was working. "Doesn't seem like too much of a chore. How about I give you a hand and we can go all that much sooner?" "That would be great!" The big man smiled again. He was very easy-going and good-natured, and had been friends with Rona for most of their young lives. With no further ado, Rona set aside her pack and joined in the work. The fertile earth yielded the weeds easily, but the patch was large. Dugi worked this farm alone most of the time, as his parents had passed away a few years before. Despite his youth, Dugi was the sole proprietor of the farm and had already earned his full ranking of kagori, "plant-tender", an honored position in the tribe. Among the Bilobi, a farmer was treated with the same respect as a warrior or a craftsman. Before long, the patch was cleared of invasive plants and they were ready to go. They went up to the farmhouse for a cup of cool mint tea and set off for the fishing hole. Further up the valley, the paved trail gave way to a well-trodden path that led up onto a ridge before dropping back down into a wild, lush stretch of forest where the stream was slow and formed several large pools among ridges of black rock and large, ancient tree roots. They spent the bulk of the morning there, enjoying the simple leisure of setting the lines, lounging in the soft summer grass, and trying to lure the wily fish out from under the banks with various lures and tactics. When the heat became oppressive, they splashed around in the cool water and dried out in the sun. It was not a hugely successful venture, as they only actually landed a couple of fish worth keeping. Finally, hunger drove them to pack up their fishing rods and head back to the farmhouse to cook them properly. The path over the ridge was lined with boulders and gnarled bushes sporting brilliant purple flowers. Distracted and relaxed, Rona and Dugi were both startled at the appearance of two people on the trail ahead, rounding a bend along the highest point; they nearly collided with the two, who were going the other way. Inri and Waro were a pair of boys who were not among Rona's favorite people. A couple of years older than her, they had been pests and teases to many of the girls, in the callous way of boys. They were both trained warriors now, and strutted like a pair of roosters, in Rona's opinion. Inri had actually made sexual overtures to her only a couple of weeks before, but she had turned him down flat at his arrogant and entitled approach; leaving him red-faced in the road in front of several of his older compatriots, who had been quite amused at the turn of events. "Well, well, well," Inri said, immediately reacting to the appearance of the two friends. "Look what we have here, a sneak and a dirt-stirrer," he sneered. Waro laughed, but his eyes were hard, calculating. Rona's eyes narrowed at the tone. "At least we do something useful, muscle-head," she retorted. Inri barked a humorless laugh. "Useful? Oh, you're going to see trouble coming, scout? Then run back and hide behind the warriors? Hardly useful." He spat. "I can think of a good use for you, girl." Waro laughed again, coarsely. Dugi growled at that, his large hand clenching around his walking staff. "You're barking up the wrong tree, lashka," he said. Inri took a half step back, hand creeping up toward the hilt of his sword. "Oh, you're going to claim her for yourself, dirt-stirrer? I knew she had bad taste." "Nobody's -claiming- me, meathead," Rona replied angrily. "I'm a free woman and I'll do what I want!" Inri eyed her up and down and grinned lewdly. "Well, you should want to use that body of yours to make a warrior happy. We're your protectors, after all. Come on, just a tumble in the grass with me will show you the error of your ways." "Hmmph. In your dreams! Why don't you just go play with yourself? Don't get caught this time." Rona gave him a sneer of her own. All of them knew about how the boy had been caught spying on the women's bathing pool the previous summer, and been soundly switched by the matrons all the way back to his family's home. Inri's face contorted and grew red with anger. "You little... I think it's time you learned some respect, bitch." He drew his sword. Rona had her tomahawk out in a flash, adrenaline surging as she shifted into a combat stance. "Honorless cur!" she spat angrily. "You have NO right!" Waro drew his own sword, glancing sidewise at his partner. "Subdue her," Inri ordered. "I'll take this fool dirt-stirrer apart!" He whirled his sword confidently and advanced on Dugi. "Don't hurt her too much," he sneered disparagingly. In a heartbeat Rona and her friend were fighting for their lives. Time slowed to a seeming crawl as the two warriors moved in confidently, their superior weapons flashing in the sunlight. Inri came in slashing at the farmer, who backed slowly, trying to fend off the blade with his stout staff. Waro circled to come at Rona from her right side, sword-point moving in an infinity pattern, then stabbing at her in a series of quick thrusts. Rona used her agility and speed to dodge away, spinning and trying to get a slash in with her shorter weapon, only to be forced back by the warrior's quick defense. Inri pressed his attack, feinted high, then lunged forward and stabbed Dugi in the thigh when his staff was raised too high to deflect the blade. The farmer grunted in pain, swinging hard even as the warrior spun away, blade flicking a stream of red droplets across the rocks. It was all Rona could do to evade Waro's calculated attacks; she could spare hardly a glance to her ally's plight. Waro was careful to keep his guard up even as he probed at her own defenses. Dugi staggered momentarily, but kept his feet, roared with anger, and charged at Inri, his staff a whirling blur. Suddenly the warrior was the one on the defensive, backing up quickly from the long-armed farmer, deflecting the staff mere inches from his face. Inri tried to come in under the arc, but Dugi swung the staff lower, forcing the warrior to block again. Wood chips flew from the force of the impact. Dugi kept the momentum of the swing, however, sliding his hands further down the staff for extra reach as he put his substantial strength and mass into the strike. Inri's attempt to back away and parry the blow were too little, too late, as the farmer's staff connected with the side of his head with a heavy thud. The warrrior crumpled soundlessly to the ground. Waro, meanwhile, continued his attacks, finally catching Rona on her non-weapon arm with a slash. She cursed and dodged away. He pursued relentlessly. Then Dugi rushed at Waro from the side, thrusting the staff like a spear at the warrior's ribcage and forcing him to turn and defend himself. Rona immediately attacked , blood running down her arm as she swung her tomahawk. Waro parried her swing as he moved, trying to keep either of his opponents from flanking him. They faced off momentarily, the warrior's eyes narrow and cold; the two friends bleeding, enraged. Waro's gaze flickered toward his fallen comrade, but there was no emotion on his face as he moved into an aggressive sword-form, blade weaving intricate patterns as he attacked them. Even outnumbered, Waro was a deadly, well-trained opponent, and for some time there was a desparate dance to keep his sword out of their bodies. For a few long minutes, heavy breaths, guttural growls of effort, shuffling boots on gravel, and occasional clash of steel on steel were the only sounds to be heard. Finally Rona was able to slide inside the warrior's guard and get a solid chop into Waro's abdomen, rolled away from his counterattack, and bounced back to her feet. There was no pause as the warrior cursed and and lunged after her murderously. She weaved away from the blade like a phantom, the edge cutting only air time and time again. Dugi followed as best he could, swinging the staff until he finally caught the warrior's leg, sending Waro staggering and off balance. Without hesitation, Rona pounced, kicking the warrior's sword arm aside, and at the same time swinging her razor-sharp tomahawk in a vicious downward chop into the side of Waro's neck. She leapt away from his backhand slash, and he staggered back several paces, eyes widening as he clamped his off-hand to the wound. Blood spurted through his fingers, spraying across the trail in a dramatic fountain for a few heartbeats before he fell; sword slipping from his nerveless fingers, he twitched, bled, and died. Panting and wild-eyed, Rona and Dugi stood transfixed for a minute, gazing down on the bodies of the vanquished. Finally Dugi staggered over to Inri and stooped to look closer. "He lives." He glanced over to Waro's body and looked away. "We're gonna have to summon the Council." "Yeah." Rona regained her breath quickly, and her wits, although drenched in sweat. "Oh, my Goddess, you're hurt!" Dugi leaned against a rock, blood seeping down his leg and coloring the dust beneath him. "You are too. It's not that bad. Just need to wrap it with something for now." Rona quickly bound the wound with one of her bandanas, and Dugi returned the favor on the shallow slash on her arm, which was also bleeding profusely. Then she helped him to his feet and they continued their journey home, the farmer leaning heavily on his staff. As they descended the path into the valley, the import of what had just occurred began to sink in. They walked in silence, deep in thought as the shock of the violent encounter began to wear off. Even the birds had grown silent in the oppressive midday heat. They climbed the ramp up to the farmhouse, entered, and shed their burdens. Dugi sank gratefully into a cushioned chair, grimacing as he raised his leg onto a footstool. "Damn, that stings." "I'll go ask the neighbors to summon the j'sarka and the eshtale," Rona said. She took a moment to wipe her face with a dampened cloth, then hurried over to the next household to ask their assistance. The tribe's shaman and spiritual guide, j'sarka Miasa, was always available for the people in her community, or one of her trusted acolytes. It was she who arrived first. Rona was waiting at the door, too anxious to stay seated for long, even after the adrenaline of battle had worn off. Miasa took one look at Rona's face and folded the girl into a giant hug. "Oh, Goddess, you poor dear!" At that, Rona burst into tears. Miasa held her close, stroking her hair and soothing her while she wept. After a few moments, Rona composed herself and Miasa took a look at their wounds. She clucked her tongue at the damage, but did not comment. She invoked the Goddess and cast healing magic on them both, erasing the physical damage of the fight as if it never had been. Soon afterward, the eshtale ascended the path to the farmhouse. The eshtale was the designated peacekeeper of the day, a duty which rotated among all the senior warriors of the tribe. Today's eshtale was Oriv, and he had brought one of the junior warriors with him to bear messages. Oriv bore the ceremonial rod of the office, an ornately carved hardwood stick with a bright blue gemstone imbedded in one end where the Osinagi tree had grown around it. It was widely thought that the rod gave the eshtale the ability to detect lies. "What crime has been committed?" Oriv intoned formally. Rona answered just as formally. "I have killed a member of my tribe, eshtale." Oriv's face grew grave, and the junior warrior gasped, eyes growing wide. "Where did this happen?" Oriv asked. Rona told him, and the junior warrior was sent running to get more help. Oriv separated the two friends and asked them what had happened, first Rona, and then Dugi. Miasa bore witness to the inquiries. By the time they were done telling their stories, a squad of warriors had arrived to assist the eshtale in fetching the fallen. "The council will hear the testimony, and send for you when they've made their decision," Oriv announced, and away they went. Miasa went with them, after giving the farmer a hug and a word of praise for his courage and honor, and a motherly kiss on the forehead for Rona. "It's going to be okay, honey. One way or another. Come see me when the ruling is made, and we will ask the spirits to give you guidance." They spent the afternoon mostly in quiet reflection. Rona cleaned and grilled the fish they had caught, and Dugi made wondrous herbal salad, and they feasted. Afterward, they laid down in the cool depths of the farmhouse and rested, although neither was able to fall asleep. Just before sunset, a messenger boy arrived to summon them before the Council.

The Council was composed of nine heads-of-households, six women and three men. Rona's father Jorjio was one of the men, and when Rona and Dugi entered the ceremonial Council chamber, his was the first face she sought. Impassive at first, when their eyes met, the warrior gave her the slightest of smiles before returning his expression to neutrality. Miasa was there, of course, and the eshtale announced their entrance, as per custom, as they took their place upon the central pedestal. "Rona of clan Ni'ess, stands on the charge of causing the death of a tribe member. Dugi of clan Ketall, stands on the charge of assault upon a tribe member." Olika, the eldest of the Council, stood and addressed them directly. A strikingly beautiful woman despite a half-century of life, she met their gazes levelly as she pronounced the judgement of the Council. "We have heard the testimony from the eshtale, and the verification of the witness to the testimony. This is a sad day for the Bilobi in many ways." "One family has lost a son, and another has brought shame upon himself. As you are entitled to defend yourselves, Dugi of clan Ketall, you are absolved of wrongdoing." Olika turned her eyes to Rona. "You are entitled to self-defense as well, Rona of clan Ni'ess. However, there is now a blood debt to be paid to the family of the man you killed today." Rona lowered her eyes in acceptance of the judgement. All the tribe's children were emphatically and thoroughly taught the rules and laws that they were expected to live by, so it was no surprise. Neither were the councilwoman's next words. "To pay this blood debt, Rona of clan Ni'ess, you are hereby banished from the lands of the Bilobi for a year and a day, beginning in two days at sunset. Make sure you are beyond our borders at that time." She sat down. The eshtale turned to the pair and waved the rod. "Do you accept this judgement?" He asked. "Yes, eshtale, they said, almost in unison. Oriv tapped the ceremonial gong with the rod of office. The rich sound vibrated through the room, and it was over.

They exited, and after a few moments, Jiorji caught up with them outside the chamber. He gave his daughter a quick hug and motioned for them to follow him back to the Ni'ess rof'orth. In the darkening twilight hour, people were going back and forth at various tasks and errands, the lamplighters sparking up intermittent candles along the pathways. It was a pleasant summer evening, and the sounds of music, laughter, and banter echoed from the various households they passed. Several young people hurried by, on their way to an evening training session in the Weapons yard, saluting the Council member politely. They reached the house, and came inside to a warm welcome. Rona could immediately smell her mother's signature cheese-covered flatbread baking, Rona's most favorite food. Her mouth immediately began to water even as her eyes started to fill with tears. Her mother and aunts gathered around her in a warm enveloping of sympathy. Jorjio turned and clasped Dugi's hand in the traditional warrior manner. "Thank you, kagori. You are a fine and honorable man, to defend my daughter's life and freedom as you did. Words cannot say enough how grateful we are for your courage and strength!" Darib, the councilman's brother-by-marriage, stepped forward and offer the farmer a hand-clasp as well, then handed him an ornate weapon. It was a war spear of great quality, with a long metal-shod haft and a foot-and-a-half-long double-edged blade of a peculiar silvery hue. Rona noticed the transaction and involuntarily gasped. The spear was one of the family's greatest treasures, and had been a family heirloom for many generations. "Take this gift, friend, and know that you can count on us if you are ever in need of help. May it serve you and your descendants well, should you ever find your life threatened again." Dugi turned the spear over in his hands, eyes wide with awe. "Thank you..." he looked around the room at the gathered family, and bowed somewhat awkwardly. "Thank you, all of you. I will treasure this weapon." Everybody wanted to hear the story, so they told it together as best they could. The children ooh'ed and aah'ed at the description of the fight, especially Rona's little sister, Nuni. A girl of only seven, she felt inspired enough to demonstrate some kicks and punches at an imaginary foe while they told about the battle, which made everyone chuckle. There was a general consensus among the family that the blood spilled was justified, and the ruling of exile was somewhat unfair, but the law was the law. The rules were in place to prevent the tribe from internal conflicts and power struggles, and a millenium-long tradition of sustained self-government gave the free people of the Bilobi great respect and trust in those rules. Rona would be exiled for a year and a day, and her family would send her off as prepared and educated as they could possibly make her. Dinner was served and the family ate with gusto. The family was a whirlwind of caring and compassion around Rona, and she savored it while she could. After the delicious meal, various musical instruments were produced, and the family sang some songs together. Rona's father brought out a bottle of fine spirits and poured a round of drinks for anyone that wanted one. The first glass, however, he handed to his daughter. When they were all distributed, he raised his hand for a moment of silence. "A salute, dear ones, for my brave daughter Rona. She has proved her commitment to freedom today! And whatever the laws say, she will never be outcast from MY heart." With that, he lifted his glass and they all shouted "Hai-ai!" together and drank. The fiery liquor quite took Rona's breath away for a moment. Someone started a drumbeat, and the family launched into a traditional tribal song celebrating those who had fallen in the cause of freedom. After a few more songs, some individual dances, and another round of drinks, and some luscious berry-cake dessert, the family began seeking their bedrooms, and Rona was no exception. The drinks had made her a bit dizzy; but when she lay down, she quickly drifted off to sleep. Her dreams were troubled. She woke several times during the night from dreams of fighting, killing, and being hunted. Finally she drifted off for a final time and slept peacefully, the whispered voices of a prayer echoing through the quiet house, or her dreams, or both.

It was mid-morning when Rona awoke to the smell of tea. She opened her eyes to see her little sister holding a cup next to her bed. Nuni smiled, "Mama said you needed this." "Ha! She is right, as usual," Rona sat up and accepted the cup, drinking deeply. "I slept in, it seems." After some breakfast and some conversation, Rona put on her sun hat and headed up the valley to the sacred grove to see the j'sarka. Nestled into an elevated box canyon on the west side of the valley, the grove of OsinagiI trees was a place of almost unearthly beauty. The stairs leading up to it were artistically carved from the solid rock, as was the temple itself, in the south wall of the box canyon. Miasa herself came out to greet her on the wide patio in front of the temple. This ceremonial area was paved intricately in a geometrical design, worn smooth by dozens of decades of dancing. It was a familiar and special place to most of the residents of the community. Rona had danced in the moonlight many times here. Miasa welcomed her into the temple and led her back to the inner sanctum. It was cool and comfortable inside the solid stone. The priestess directed Rona to the purification bath, where a great tub carved directly into the stone stood steaming and ready. Miasa left her there to cleanse herself and change into one of the soft white robes that hung ready by the door. From there, Rona entered the prayer room and knelt before the altar, a supplicant. Miasa emerged from a room behind the altar, clad in a ceremonial ensemble of silver jewelry, including an ornate tiara, and a wispy white robe that barely concealed her lithe brown body. She paused by the altar and rang a silver chime. Its pure tone filled the silence. She knelt before Rona and offered her a small cup. "Let us pray, and ask the Goddess to give you visions." Rona took the cup carefully, raised it in salute to the altar, and drank. The liquid was sweetened with honey, but even that could only partially mask the bitterness of the karana root tea. She finished it dutifully and handed the cup back to Miasa, who rose and returned to the room from which she had come. After a moment the priestess returned, and gestured for Rona to move to one of the prayer mats she had already laid out on the shiny grey-green-tiled floor. They spent the next half-hour moving through the ritualistic stretches and poses of the Centering exercises. Rona began to feel queasy and sat back, trying to concentrate on her breathing. "I feel faint," she said. She was having a hard time focusing. "Lay down," Miasa said. Rona did so, and the priestess knelt beside her, passing her hands over the girl. "Hmm..." She then whispered a prayer and gently cradled Rona's head in her warm hands. The heat from Miasa's hands seemed to infuse Rona from her head, rippling through her until her entire body felt warm and glowing. The nausea and ill feeling swept away, replaced by a deep sense of comfort and well-being. She closed her eyes and slipped into a trance. The steady light of the lanterns in the prayer room faded away to a faint glow, and then somehow she opened her eyes and was gazing up at the midday sky. The sun was bright, but she felt fearlessly compelled to look straight at it, and its light seemed illuminating instead of blinding. She gasped at the unexpected beauty. Then rainbows radiated from the orb, bending and curving into complex patterns. A flicker of movement distracted her, and she moved her perception to another patch of sky. A barely-discernable shape was flying there; but when she concentrated, she could see clearly a sinuous winged creature. She recognized immediately a Sriwi'ani, a dragon of the Air, and felt a little thrill of joy at seeing one for the first time in her life. She watched the dragon as it glided in a slow figure-eight, then descended to a craggy ridge of stone. Her perception moved toward the ridge, approached the cliff, and then tilted upward as if she were flying herself. Then she was on top of the ridge, and the rays of the setting sun were painting the sky in colorful hues. Beyond the ridge was another higher ridge, and as she ascended, winged people launched from cliffs above and floated dreamily around her. Atop the cliff she came upon a beautiful little meadow, full of tiny yellow flowers. She lay her presence down there and looked up to the darkening sky. Stars grew brighter as the sun's light faded. Flickering light drew her attention. Beyond the mountains to the east, she could make out a massive storm cloud, dark and menacing, lit by lightning within and around it. An undercurrent of foreboding touched her at the sight. The storm seemed unnatural and out of place for some reason. From somewhere nearby she heard someone giggle merrily, then a sweet and melodic voice began singing, in words that she could not understand, but seemed familiar somehow. Rona had the impression of a silhouette of a woman sitting on a rock nearby, moonlight shining behind her. The sky, the mountain, the plants, all began to glow, and the stars were connected by rainbows. As a complex pattern began to be seen, light filled her vision completely, and she heard the sound of a silver chime. She opened her eyes and was back in her body, lying safe on the prayer room floor. Miasa approached her and knelt beside the prayer mat. "How do you feel?" "Good," Rona replied, sitting up. "What did you see?" The priestess handed her a cup of water, which Rona drained. Rona described her vision as best she could. Miasa listened carefully, nodding and smiling at the girl's words. "Truly a blessed vision. The omens are showing you a path. I think you should go and stay with the Sky People. They will welcome you and it will be a safe place to live during your exile." The priestess frowned a little in thought. "The storm... I do not know what that means. I'm sure it signifies something important, but that is not an immediate concern. It seems to be something that you will be involved with somehow. You will discover its meaning, with time." Rona nodded slowly, the vision still strong in her mind's eye. "Thank you, Miasa. I will prepare for my journey."

On the stairs down from the sacred grove, Rona saw a pair of women ascending. Rona knew them both; Chira and Usia were the mother and aunt of Inri, and Rona paused when she recognized them, unsure of their reaction. They saw her and continued up the stairs to her position. Chira was a tall, strong woman with long mahogany-colored hair flowing from under her black sun hat. She wore black clothing and her face was grave as she ascended the last few stairs to where Rona was standing. "Well met, Rona of clan Ni'ess." "Matron," Rona replied warily, nodding in return. Chira gazed at Rona for a moment, studying the girl's face. "I am sorry for the shame my son has brought upon our house, young one." She paused and looked at her sister beside her. Usia reached out and squeezed her hand in encouragement. "This is not the way a warrior is supposed to behave. We did not teach him this... disrespect." Chira raised her gaze and met Rona's eyes. "I fear that my son has been listening to some tainted follower of the cursed path of Azhilo." She spat to the side at the name as if she had tasted something foul. "My son has been sent to the northern border to spend time at an outpost, where hopefully he will learn some humility and appreciation for his life." She paused, looking down again. " I will not speak his name until your exile is over. Because of his arrogance, his friend is dead, and he will need many years before he regains his honor in my eyes." Rona let out a quiet sigh of relief. "Your words lighten my spirit, Matron." Chira took the last two steps up to the girl and embraced her. "Be well, young one, and I wish you a safe and pleasant journey, wherever you end up going." "Thank you," Rona whispered, returning the hug. "May the Goddess smile upon you and your family."

Back at the Ni'ess rof'orth, Rona spent the rest of the day assembling her equipment and packing her possessions for storage. One of the younger ones would take her bedroom. There was a sense of finality to the process that Rona could not shake. The future was always murky, but it was clear that this was the ending of her childhood and the beginning of something entirely different. It made her somewhat sad, but also determined to face the changes with her head held high. The prospect of travelling beyond her tribe's lands to the mountainous hold of the M'Chal was exciting and scary at the same time. When the tasks were done, there was a last evening with her family, filled with laughter and joy, and a few tears as well. One last night in her home, lying awake for much of it. Rona managed a few hours of sleep before dawn. Her little sister awoke her again, and it was time for her journey to begin.

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It was another beautiful summer day, albeit with a heaviness to the air that promised rain in the afternoon. Rona set off at a good pace, for she had some distance to cover to make it to the edge of her tribe's lands. Up over the first ridge she went, following the same path she had taken to the swimming hole two days before. At the site of the battle, a familiar figure stood, lit by the first rays of the sun. "Hail, Rona," Dugi called. "I thought you'd be passing this way." She jogged up and embraced him, her pack and weapons making it somewhat awkward. He held the heirloom spear in one hand as he enfolded her in his massive grip. They stood that way for a long moment. Finally Dugi released his grip. "You had better go. Luck be with you, my sweet friend. You'll be brave. You always are." Rona smiled, even though tears were welling in her eyes. "Be well, my friend, until we meet again." She trotted away. Up the valley she went, past the swimming hole, over a bridge and up the larger ridge to the east. From there the trail led south again, along the top of the ridge. She passed a couple of guardposts before the trail descended again, cutting slightly east to proceed along a craggy slope leading down the the river valley far below. Rona stayed alert by habit, even though there was little danger to be found in this well-watched area of her tribe's lands. The view from the trail was magnificent. The wide forested valley to the east was frequented by Bilobi hunters and berry-gathering parties. The tribe claimed the land all the way to the river. To the southeast rose the magnificent stony ridge of the Blackspur Ridge. A sheer granite cliff in many places, the ridge rose a dizzying thousand-and-a-half feet above the forest slopes beneath, only to be crowned by a second, smaller ridgeline of streaked black rock, that rose nearly as high again. Wisps of clouds drifted about the taller, spikier peaks. There was Rona's goal; the home of the M'Chal. Around mid-day she stopped and feasted on some of the cheese bread her mother had wrapped for her. Clouds were starting to form above her, so she took advantage of the intermittent shade and made as much progress as she could before the rain began. As the first drops fell, she stopped and took off her equipment. She rolled out her rain cloak and attached it to her backpack, also wrapping it around her bow and quiver. She put her equipment back on, the cleverly designed cloak hooding her face and wrapping around to buckle in the front, easily released if one needed to shed it quickly. The waterproof oiled hide was light but durable, and the cloak was designed to double as a makeshift tent as well. She continued as the summer storm drenched the thirsty land around her. The trail was neatly paved here, so mud was not a problem, and she stayed dry and comfortable under the cloak. By mid-afternoon she was approaching the southeast border outpost. A squat stone tower stood on a narrow ridge, the trail running to the mouth of a tunnel which had been carved through the ridge underneath it. The massive doors were open, and as Rona approached, a guard stepped out from the shade to greet her. "Hail, askuri," he said, using the formal title of a blooded scout of the Bilobi. "I am Olfor. We've been expecting you." "Well met, Olfor," she replied, touching her palm to his in the traditional greeting. "Your uncle sent word that you would be passing this way. Come, set down your things and have a drink. I'll fetch the shiragi, he will want to speak to you." He directed her into a side room where there was a couple of benches, and a table that held a pitcher of fruit-sweetened water and several glasses. The drink was blessedly chill compared to the warm water in Rona's waterskin. The shiragi, leader of the oupost, was an older warrior called Gyrag, known to Rona as a friend of her father and uncle. He entered the room and gave Olfor a nod. The other warrior leaned on the wall outside the door casually keeping watch. "Hail, Rona. Darib informed me that you're heading up the Blackspur." Gyrag spread out a map on the table. "Now I'm sure you've studied some maps already, but I'll just point a couple of things out to you. Once you exit the gates on the east side of this outpost, you are officially outside of our tribe's lands. I recommend finding somewhere to camp tonight in this area above the springs." He pointed to where the springs were marked, then indicated the trail to the base of the cliff. "That way you can start up the trade-trail in the morning. It's the safest way up to the top of the lower cliff, and the M'chal patrol it frequently." He pointed to where the trail began its ascent, skirting a fair-sized lake at the base of a deep ravine. "The trail is narrow along the lakeside, so you will want to be especially wary there. It's a good place for an ambush. Further up the chasm, there are many stretches of trail that are exposed to view from above and below, but there are places for a tricky askuri like yourself to elude any problems there. " "Once you reach the top of the lower cliff, the High Forest will be a more open terrain. The Sky People will keep close watch on this area. You're likely to see some of them flying around on their false-wings." Gyrag pointed to a cleft in the upper cliff. "Here there is the main trail up to the M'Chal lands. Once you are in that rift, you will likely be under constant observation by M'Chal lookouts and under their protection there, as well." The warrior turned his eyes to meet Rona's. "There are always Z'Krol raiding parties lurking around the base of the Blackspur. They are, as always, the greatest threat. Especially to a lone female. You would be a prize indeed, young one, so take great care." Rona nodded somberly. "I will, shiragi," she promised. "I know you have been trained well, askuri. Be as a ghost. And whatever happens..." Gyrag put a hand on her shoulder, voice grave, "DON'T let them take you alive if they find you."

Rona set out from the east gate at a trot, feeling refreshed. The air was cooler from the rain and a light breeze across the top of the hills made the journey pleasant. Rona followed the trade trail for a half mile or so before leaving the trail on the north, downslope side. She followed game trails, picking her way carefully eastward as the afternoon wore on. It was slow travel, as she took pains to walk over rock and gravel where she could, to conceal her trail. Nonetheless, she reached the vale where the springs flowed a good hour before sunset. She found a promising niche between a couple of large boulders and set up her bedroll there. She took her weapons down to a pool and quickly bathed, reveling in immersing her body in the cool, fresh water. She refilled her waterskin, and as twilight gathered, ate the last of the bread with some dried fish and some wild grapes she found nearby. After her eyes adjusted to the starlight, Rona took a final scouting trip in a rough circle around her campsite, moving quietly from one vantage point to another, waiting and watching for a bit, then moving on again. The area was full of the early nocturnal activity of numerous animals, but nothing threatening. She returned to her spot, and used a leafy branch to brush her tracks from the sand as she backed into her niche and used the branch to further conceal her hiding place. Then she snuggled up in her blanket and drifted quickly into sleep, spurred by both her exertions of the day and her deprivation of the night before. Rona awoke in the night, an indeterminable amount of time later. She lay, breathing quietly, listening; she was unsure what had woke her. After a moment, an insect began chirping nearby. She turned over quietly and watched the clearing beyond her leafy camoflauge. The hair rose on her neck as she saw a shadow moving through the trees stealthily. In a patch of stronger starlight, she made out a human figure, a large one, moving extremely quietly across the uneven ground. She carefully unsheathed her tomahawk as she continued to watch. The shadow paused a few yards away, then a dim light shone on the ground nearby. In the reflected light, Rona could see a man, holding a smalll incandescent object with which he was examining the ground in a wide swathe, obviously looking for tracks. Concealed in shadow, Rona was not in danger of being seen, and she remained lying perfectly still as the man investigated, then the light switched off. After a moment the shadowy figure moved on, creeping through the forest toward the spring Rona had bathed in earlier. She stayed there, motionless but alert, for quite some time. The blood seemed to boil in her veins at the thought of an enemy scout venturing so close to her tribe's lands. She considered following him and ambushing him, but there was no telling if he was alone. It was a risk not worth taking, she decided, and lay quiet until the adrenaline faded. Sleep was a long time coming. Soon after dawn, Rona awoke, feeling rested and lively. She carefully emerged from her niche and did a quick circuit to assess her surroundings, bow strung and ready. All was quiet. She relaxed a bit, and prepared for the day. Before she set out, she looked for the trail of the intruder. With a keen eye for the signs that even an experienced woodsman would leave, Rona quickly found where he had passed, and followed the trail down to the pool. From there the man had gone west, then turned back to the south, towards the trade trail. She decided that heading due east was the best route to avoid him, and proceeded that way after returning for her pack. Through the rocks, meadows, and trees she went; moving quickly, but cautiously avoiding clearings and ridgelines where she could be seen from further upslope. The only creatures she encountered were a family of deer that she startled, who bounded away quickly when they caught her scent. Soon the land became steeper, and she found a narrow valley to ascend to the trade-trail just before it met the shadow of the cliffs. She could see the trail pass over a small ridge, beyond which the gigantic cleft loomed. She trotted along the trail and quickly passed over the ridge into the valley at the base of the cleft, which was filled with a wide, deep lake. As Gyrag had said, the trade-trail was carved into the rocky ridge alongside the west bank of the valley, with very little in the manner of cover, especially further into the defile. The lake itself was possibly the only escape route. Rona took a few deep breaths as she unstrapped her bow and strung it. Holding the bow and an arrow in one hand, she took off at a quick pace, striving for a balance of speed and silence. Deeper into blessed shade, the air still held a refreshing coolness. A few birds chirped in the cliffs above the trail, but that was the only discernable sound for some time, until Rona began to hear the muffled roar of the waterfall at the innermost end of the canyon. The lake narrowed quickly as she penetrated the canyon, until there was only a stone's throw separating the walls. The trail itself was carved into the solid rock of the cliff at this point, and even underneath an enormous overhang for a long stretch, making it feel cave-like. As she emerged into the canyon beyond the overhang, Rona rounded a corner to see the trail begin to rise ahead, a steep slope up to a spur of rock. She ascended to this point and paused to assess the path ahead. Instinctively crouching by a boulder, Rona scanned the trail and the steep slope above her to the west. She could see where the trail switched back ahead, and glanced upward to get a feel for where it ascended. Just then, a flicker of movement drew her attention ahead, to where the trail turned. She froze as she saw the figure of a man - no, two men - approaching the first switchback ahead of her. They moved with the quick and furtive pace of hunters, which immediately alerted her suspicions. She drew closer to the boulder and pulled the edge of her rain cloak down to disguise her profile. At this distance, in the deep shadow of the cleft, they would be hard-pressed to see her if she stayed still. She watched, motionless, as they rounded the switchback. The rearmost stopped for a quick view of the trail behind them before continuing. Rona watched carefully upslope, trying to catch a glimpse of the hunting party on the trail above and ahead of her. From the angle she had, there was only a couple of places where she saw movement. Taking a deep breath, she started up the trail herself, staying quiet, as close to the slope as possible. Her adrenaline rode high, and she grasped her bow firmly as her senses sharpened. She stalked. Rona had done some hunting in her life, but never for a prey as dangerous as this. At the switchback she quickly darted around the corner and continued up the path. As she had suspected, the trail was wide and well-built, and she was able to move quickly and close to the wall. Her eyes were constantly moving from the trail ahead, to the slope above her, ears alert for any sound of her quarry. She was quite confident that they had no warning of her presence, and took great care to maintain that status. As she drew closer to the next switchback, she heard low voices from the trail above. She froze, next to a good portion of steep wall, and listened intently. Quiet footsteps, and then another low mutter, too faint to distinguish any words. When she could no longer hear footsteps, she continued. After the next switchback, the trail rose more steeply, even having broad stair-steps at a few points. The trail rounded a ridge and continued deeper into the canyon, much further than the first switchback. Here the path was built on the steep jagged slope of some ancient avalanche, overgrown with vines and a few stubborn trees and punctuated with massive boulders. The cliff wall high above was broken, and Rona knew that the trade trail would ascend to the Upper Forest there. She continued trailing them cautiously, wary of the increasing light as the trail rose higher. The roar of the waterfall was closer here, making subtle noises unhearable. The trail wound around boulders and crossed the path of a small rivulet before switching back again. The trail reversed directions four more times before Rona caught another glimpse of the others. There was a bridge across the trench dug by the little stream here, and when Rona saw it up ahead, she also noticed a man crouched in the shadow just beyond. He was holding something up to his eyes, a short object pointed toward the cliff on the opposite side of the great cleft. Rona froze in place, and slowly flattened as she slid back around the tree she had just passed. Just in time, as the man turned the viewtube in her direction. On the ground already, she concealed herself fully. Heart pounding, she waited for twenty breaths before peeking again. The man had put away his viewtube and was relieving himself over the edge of the trail. Rona relaxed slightly. When he was done, he picked up his pack and continued, as did she. After three more switchbacks, the trail was nearly high enough to be exposed to the full light of the sun. The trail was rapidly shortening between the switchbacks as it grew close to the top of the cleft. Rona spotted her quarry crossing the rivulet again - two men, this time, not looking her way. She stayed in the shade of boulder until they disappeared, then followed. Now that she knew where they were, she closed the gap a bit, stealthily moving from vantage point to another. So when they stopped, she stopped as well, and found a friendly clump of vegetation to hide behind while she watched them. The two men had found a deep niche alongside the trail, and were busy setting up some sort of equipment there. One of them strung a wire across the path, drove a spike into the rock on the downslope side, and attached the wire to it. He then lay the wire on the path and concealed it carefully under gravel and dust. The other end went into the niche, where Rona could not see from her angle. The other man was doing something else in the niche at the same time. After a bit, Rona noticed something very unusual - a hint of movement in the air further along the trail, a slight blurring quite unlike anything she had ever seen before. Blinking, she studied the optical effect intently. Suddenly, the blur opened from the center, revealing a man standing in the path near the niche. Rona nearly gasped at the unexpected sight. The man was large, very large, and bore the ritual scars of the Z'Krol. He shrugged off the robe he was wearing, which she could see clearly from the inner side as he lay it over a nearby rock. It was an eerie and disconcerting sight to see him appear from seeming nothingness. He disappeared into the niche. After a short time, the man stepped back onto the path and wrapped himself in the transparency cloak again. Rona could see that it was a long robe, brushing the ground, with a fitted hood that covered everything but the man's eyes. He pulled the robe closed in the front and fastened it, and was virtually invisible once again. Only his eyes were visible, and only when they were briefly turned in her direction. Then the slight blur was the only sign of his presence, as he moved away further up the trail. Soon afterward, a blur drew Rona's attention in that direction again. The process was repeated, although this was a different man. After a brief interlude, he too donned his transparency robe and moved up the path. Rona tried to interpret the situation as best she could. A group of at least four Z'Krol warriors, encroaching on the territory of the Sky People, setting an ambush on the path; while two of them were using some sort of invisibility magic to conceal their invasion into the Upper Forest. She could think of several possible objectives for a raiding party such as this, and it stirred her blood with anger. Determined, she set a course of action. She would bypass the ambush site, cross the Upper Forest, and head for the final ascent to the home of the Sky People. That path would be guarded, she was sure. Rona looked for a place to ascend to the next level of the trail, making sure to stay out of sight. She soon found a promising-looking crack, unstrung and stowed her bow, and started to climb. The crack soon dwindled to nothing, and Rona was forced to climb on the open rock. To make matters worse, she was fully exposed to the sun and quickly found herself flagging from the exertion of climbing. She found a somewhat secure foothold where she could rest for a few minutes, and take a drink of water, before continuing. After a few more grueling minutes, she reached the trail, where she found a bit of shade under a tree and gratefully shed her pack. She wiped her face with a cloth, and restrung her bow. Just as she lifted her pack, she heard the scuffle of footsteps from down the trail. Even though alarmed, she finished putting the pack on and buckling it securely, then picked up her bow and calmly nocked an arrow. There was nowhere to hide here. The two men from the ambush site rounded the turn as she stepped out into the trail, drew and fired in one swift motion. Her aim was true, the arrow striking the first man in the middle of the chest, but his leather breastplate stopped most of the impact. He was more surprised than hurt, but bellowed once and staggered back, his companion cursing and ducking for cover as Rona nocked another arrow. A long moment passed while Rona tried to get a clear shot at the warriors; and they scrambled back, one fumbling for weapons and the other trying to pull the arrow out of his breastplate and his flesh, and both trying to find cover. The unwounded one finally rose, bow in hand and murder in his eyes. Rona's arrow left her bow a split second before his did, grazing one arm and cutting a bloody furrow on the way by. His arrow she barely avoided, twisting to the side as the breeze from its passing tugged at a stray strand of hair. Time seemed to slow to a crawl as she shifted her balance and drew another arrow. Again Rona was quicker than her opponent. This time her arrow struck true, piercing his leather leggings and the thigh beneath. His concentration was not broken, but his arrow whistled through empty air as the girl lowered and flattened her profile. The other warrior came charging then, holding a sword and a shield high as he leaped past his comrade, his pierced breastplate apparently abandoned, and sprinting toward Rona. She immediately whirled and fled, ducking instinctively as another arrow flew through the space she had occupied just an instant before. Accelerating to full speed in a few steps, Rona ran for her life, the pounding footsteps of the warrior growing louder behind her. Encumbered by the pack on her back and the bow in her hand, Rona could hear him getting closer. Eyes on the trail ahead, she reached the next switchback only a scant few yards ahead of the warrior and cut the corner as closely as she could. She gained a couple of steps with the turn, as the man's greater bulk took him on a slightly more rounded trajectory. The man's companion was limping along some distance behind, and Rona caught a glimpse of him drawing bead on her as she raced up the trail. The arrow passed behind her as she pushed herself to run faster than she had ever run in her life. The trail turned again and wound upwards into the cleft at the top of the mountainside, the slope more gentle here. The race continued; the warrior's longer legs giving him the advantage on the straighter parts, while the scout's agility gave her better ability to maneuver around the frequent twists and turns. Even so, he gained a couple of paces on her as they ascended the narrowing valley, not letting up his chase in the slightest. Time stretched for Rona, each pounding step she ran calculated and executed perfectly. Ahead, she knew, there would be the others, the cloaked ones, and they would likely be on or near the path itself. Her eyes scanned incessantly, alert for any visual abnormalities that would give away their presence. The trail broke the crest and she was suddenly on the massive plateau of the Upper Forest. The path smoothed and began curving to the left; Rona immediately saw the disadvantage for her on this stretch, so instead of continuing along the trail, she picked a spot before the curve and plunged into the woods, the warrior still in hot pursuit. She heard a startled shout from behind her, which the warrior responded to with a brief, hoarse yell of his own. He sounded a bit out of breath. Forests were Rona's element, but this one was unfamiliar to her. The underbrush was more prevalent than the deep forests of the lowlands, the tree cover more sparse. She was forced to plow through some bushes, using her bow to push branches aside, and leap over others, to maintain her scant lead over the onrushing warrior. Little by little, however, she increased the distance between them. The terrain was fairly level here, but soon her path crossed a trickling stream in a rocky little valley, where she took her opportunity to suddenly change directions and dart eastward, upstream. Here she was able to use her agility to great advantage, bounding up, onto, and over rocks and boulders; scurrying along brief ridges at full speed, over fallen logs and gravelly slopes; as swift and sure-footed as any creature of the wild. She heard him falling further and further behind, but she didn't stop running until she couldn't hear him anymore, and she didn't stop moving until she had covered another quarter-mile or more, picking her path more carefully . Finally she dared to stop, hidden behind a great tree in peaceful sunlit copse. Panting shallowly, drenched in sweat, sporting numerous cuts and scrapes from the plants she had ran through; but alive. Alive, and free. She took out her waterskin and guzzled nearly the entire thing, and drizzled the rest over her face. After a brief respite, she continued her journey, going quietly and cautiously, leaving as little mark of her passage as she could. This was her specialty, and she did it to perfection. Only a master of tracking could hope to follow the trail she left, and that only with great time and patience. She made her way toward the crevice in the upper cliff that she knew was the trade-trail's route to the homeland of the M'Chal. A drifting ghost would perhaps have disturbed the serene forest more than Rona did passing through. It was a beautiful place, full of exotic-looking flowers and sturdy vines climbing the boulders. The trees themselves were a mix of narrow- and needle-leaf, with a few fruit trees interspersed, some laden with nature's bounty. She took a few moments to harvest a handful of dark red cherries and ate them as she walked. Perhaps an hour later, she intersected the trade-trail again and took to it after a cautious assessment. The ascent to the M'Chal lands was sure to be watched closely, she knew; therefore, she abandoned trying to conceal herself. She unstrung her bow and strapped it into place, donned her sun hat, and trotted up the trail. The path rose to the base of the cliff ahead. Ahead of her, a man rose from behind a crag and stepped out into the trail, holding a spear. Her heart pounded in trepidation, but Rona slowed her trot, approached, and hailed him. "Bright morning, guardian." The man nodded back to her. He wore armor of hardened leather and blackened metal, and a helm painted with feathers. "Light upon you, traveller. Who are you, and why do you come to our lands?" "I am Rona, exile of the Bilobi. I seek refuge in your lands, if you will hear my plea." She lowered her eyes to the ground between them, joining her hands in a gesture of supplication. There was a moment of silence. Rona peeked up to see the man waving some sort of signal to someone behind him, then turning back to her. "I am Tol, of the M'Chal. Your request is granted, Rona, exile of the Bilobi. You may enter our lands and plead your case. " She let out a low sigh of relief. "My thanks, Tol." She paused, and looked back along the trail behind her. "There are other travellers here, however, whose intentions are not so peaceful..." "Oh?" Tol stepped closer, beckoning for his companion to join them. "Tell us." "A raiding party, I'm quite sure they were Z'Krol. Four of them, I believe. Two were cloaked in some sort of ... transparency. I don't know, it looked like magic of some kind. They went ahead, leaving two to set an ambush on the second leg down of the switchbacks. The two that stayed were not cloaked, but hidden in a crevice. I tried to sneak past them by climbing up the cliff, but they must have saw me, and they both chased me. I stuck an arrow through one's leg, but the other chased me into the Upper Forest before I lost him." Tol's face grew darker with every sentence, and his grip tightened visibly on his spear. He nodded brusquely to her. "My thanks." He turned to his companion that had joined them, a slightly shorter man, similarly equipped. "Signal the strike team." The man hurried back toward their outpost. Tol turned his gaze back to Rona, then down the trail. "We will teach these scum to stay away from our lands," he growled. Rona nodded, a savage smile creeping across her face. "I would be happy to help in any way I can." The signal was sent via heliograph to the top of the cliff, and in a matter of minutes, a pair of gliders launched above and sailed above the forest. Rona watched with keen curiosity, having only heard stories of the manmade wings of the Sky People. They were large, triangular shapes with the human occupant controlling them from a framework below the wing. The scouts circled a few times before a band of warriors swiftly descended on ropes to the guardpost. "We have a group of foragers out in the berry-bushes," Tol explained, as his comrades assembled with an impressive array of weaponry. "We will send some to inform them of the danger and guard them, while the rest of us go to the trade-trail and seek these invaders. I will lead this effort. You are welcome to accompany us." "Gladly," Rona answered. Soon the teams were ready and they set off; four of the warriors angling off to the northeast toward the berry pickers, while the other seven, and Rona, trotted down the trade-trail.

The Z'Krol, it turned out, had decided to vacate the area completely. A thorough search of the area where Rona had been chased found only a few tracks, and further investigation down the trade-trail found no sign that the raiding party remained in the area. The flying scouts continued their patrol as midday crept into afternoon; after posting guards at the top of the lower trail, the teams of warriors returned to the guardpost. The foragers joined them there as well, a group consisting of boys, giggling maidens, and more serious matrons, bearing baskets laden with ripe berries. Further back in the cliff wall, an ingenious system of ropes, baskets, and counterweights allowed the foragers to relinquish their burdens and ascend the long stairs to their home, Rona and the warriors in tow. The stairway itself was cleverly constructed, carved into solid stone for the most part, with some sections supplemented by solid, well-maintained plank bridges. Gleaming metal poles connected the levels between switchbacks at regular intervals. Rona puzzled over their function, until she finally had to ask her escorts about them. The poles were used as effective shortcuts for the downward descent, it turned out.

The air changed as they climbed, and Rona felt a bit light-headed at times as she adjusted to the altitude. Clouds were forming above the lowlands, a sign of the daily afternoon rain. A pleasant breeze kept them cool as they reached the top of the stairs, and the panorama of the homeland of the Sky People spread out before them. A craggy landscape full of jagged spires of black rock, the terrain was bewilderingly mazelike to Rona's unfamiliar gaze. The party was hailed by another mixed group, those who had been raising the lifts at the top of the cliff. The foragers took up their baskets and wound their way eastward toward their village, seemingly simultaneously bursting into song as they began to walk. Their voices echoed from the rocks around them, giving joyous praise for the bounty and beauty of summer. Rona could not help but smile for the exuberance and vitality of these people, and found herself humming along to the song as she learned it. Soon the paved trail crossed a ravine over an elegantly shaped bridge of pure black basalt, and ascended a ridge until they were overlooking a picturesque valley. Dominating the skyline, a tall outcropping of the black rock rose perhaps another thousand feet above their present height, and at its peak, several columns of sparkling crystal scattered the sunlight in a million different directions. Nestled into the base of the steep spires, a large village was built. Houses were mounds of earth with doorways and chimneys; several larger structures were also built into the ground, with sturdy-looking roofs. Below the village, a swath of terraces displayed a bounty of vegetation, and at the bottom of the valley a lake of crystal clear water lay like a splendid invitation. There were people everywhere, and little goats darted here and there, chasing children or being chased. People farming, swimming, flying kites, and a host of other activities. Rona estimated the population of the village as perhaps a thousand. The harvesters were met by a flock of children and baby goats partway down the slope, squealing in delight and trying to sing along with the summer song, some babbling excitedly, and all trying to finagle a sample of the harvest from the baskets. Laughing matrons hugged their children, and some of the goats bounced around their humans in obvious delight. There was an infectious feeling of celebration in the air as they brought the song to a final chorus and began dispersing into the village.

Tol and a pair of the other warrior leaders escorted Rona to the largest structure in the valley, in the middle of town. The aboveground portion of the building was impressive in its solidity, constructed of massive slabs of basalt and a large metal-bound gate at its entrance. Rona's people had a similar structure, a fortress to retreat to in times of great peril. Up a broad flight of stairs they ascended to the top of the edifice, where a stone watchtower rose, as tall as a tree. There was a a pleasant little table beneath a broad awning beside the tower, and there they could set down their weapons, and Rona gratefully shed her pack and equipment belts. They sat down on pillowed chairs and were brought refreshing juice by a lovely young dark-haired girl. The breeze was perfect, the temperature was comfortable, and the juice was delicious. They enjoyed the ambience in silence while they awaited the eshtale. After perhaps twenty minutes, three people approached and ascended the stairs toward them, two men and a woman. The men were mature, older warriors in their prime. Dark-haired and sun-bronzed, they were typical specimens of the Solbanian tribes. The woman, however, was quite different indeed. Her hair was shockingly blonde; her skin was somewhat tanned, but still pale. Her face had a delicate quality to it, almost childlike. She was dressed in a light, flowy white dress that looked eminently comfortable, and a matching white sun hat. She also bore the rod of an eshtale. The two warriors split to either side and the woman approached between them, as Rona and the others rose to greet them. Rona stepped away from her comfortable seat and stood before them. "Greetings, Rona." The woman's voice had a melodic quality. "I am Raebessa. Welcome to Crystal Tower." She was a bit taller than Rona and had intense, light blue eyes. Rona abstractly noted that her ears were slightly pointed. There was something familiar about her that Rona could not quite place. Rona tore her gaze away from Raebessa's mesmerizing eyes, and bowed her head in gratitude. "My thanks, eshtale. I seek refuge among you, as I have been exiled from my homeland." Wordlessly, the fair-haired woman reached out and cupped Rona's face gently, and then embraced her quickly. "You are welcome here," she whispered in that moment. At the woman's touch, a tingling, almost electric shock cascaded through Rona's body, leaving her momentarily breathless. Raebessa stepped back, a sweet, secret smile pulling at her lips as their eyes met again. "Let us sit, now, and you can tell us all about it."

Rona related her story to them as the afternoon wore on. The warriors were particularly interested in hearing about the camoflauging robes, and what Rona had observed of the raiders' tactics. When all the questions had been answered and various repurcussions and extrapolations discussed, the hour was growing late and the smell of cooking food began wafting from the village around them. They concluded their meeting and dispersed. Raebessa bid her tribesmen farewell, then turned to Rona. "I will inform the elders of our decision to accept your request for refuge. You can stay with me, if you want. I have a spare room in my little temple for guests." She waved in the direction of the spires above the village and smiled shyly, "And I'll bet you could use a hot bath." "Oh, now that sounds delightful!" Rona exclaimed. With no further ado, they picked up Rona's equipment and headed up the wide walkways toward Raebessa's home.

An amazingly short time later, Rona was soaking in a luxuriously warm bath, set in a large bowl carved into the black stone of the hillside. The bath was fed by an ingeniously designed system of trenches and switches to bring water that had been heated by the sun in pools in the rocks above. The bath was above a small private garden nestled in the boulders behind the house that Raebessa referred to as her temple. The house itself was carved into a short spire. There was an elegant but comfortable sitting area in the entry room, a kitchen on the garden side, and a pair of side rooms that contained niche beds and storage shelves. The main room was also Raebessa's bedroom, it turned out; it was a beautiful space surrounded on every wall with polished crystal ornaments, statuettes, and sparkles from every direction. There also hung several paintings of an erotic nature that had made Rona blush at the sight, and the enormous round bed in the center of the room had given her no doubt about the kind of activities that went on there. Raebessa had shown Rona the room she would be using, explained how to draw the bath, and given her a massive fluffy towel and a robe before leaving to address the elders. The place was so peaceful and her hostess so sweet, that Rona felt immediately comfortable. Now she relaxed in the warm water gratefully, feeling the soreness and exhaustion seeping out of her in the elemental luxury. She drifted into a reverie for some time. When she opened her eyes again, it was to the sound of a door closing and light footsteps on the mosaic-stone walkway leading through the little garden. The sun had set and twilight gloom was deepening. Raebessa appeared through the vine-and-flower-covered trellis and set a basket and a lantern down on the little table there. She glanced up at Rona and smiled brightly. "I brought us some dinner! My grandmother made some of her koshgal meat pies, and I am so blessed to be in her good graces today!" Raebessa giggled and went back into the house. Rona extricated herself from the bath, reluctantly, but also realizing how great her hunger had grown. She dried herself off on the great towel as Raebessa returned to the table and set out utinsels. Rona watched the fair-haired woman curiously as she slipped on the light robe and tied the belt closed; then she descended the short stairway to the cozy tea-table. Rae pulled out a chair for her. "Here you are, dear... well, then, you do clean up nicely, don't you?" Her eyes roamed over Rona's face and form for a brief moment before their gaze met. There was a sparkle in her eyes that Rona could not attribute entirely to reflection, and she found herself quite lost for a long moment. Rae's lips parted slightly and she leaned forward a bit, before catching herself with a small shake of her head and a throaty chuckle. "Some hostess I am, getting distracted... sit, sit." Rae giggled again. Rona complied, and Rae opened the basket to release a mouth-watering aroma from the freshly baked goodness within. It was perhaps the most delicious meal Rona had ever eaten. The combination of her hunger, the struggle and portentiousness of the day, the strange but serene surroundings, her enchanting hostess - all conspired to fill her senses. It was almost like being intoxicated, but instead of numbness she felt actually more alive than she could have dreamed possible. She devoured the meat pie, the seasoned sweet potatoes, oil-and-spiced tender greens, the mushroom soup and salty crackers, and the berry tart; all in rapid succession. A glass of sweet plum wine set off the flavor of the tart nicely as Rona finally leaned back from the table with a contented sigh. Night had fallen completely, and the stars shone brightly above. The spires, the rocks around them, the temple, the plants, and her hostess all seemed aglow with the gentle light. Rae pushed her own plate away and delicately dabbed away the tart crumbs from her berry-darkened lips. "Oh, summertime." She laughed, a silvery tinkle blending with the trickle of water and the chirping of various insects around them. "It is my favorite season, and the food has a lot to do with that." "I can only agree," Rona rubbed her belly contentedly. "I haven't met your grandmother yet, but I already know she's amazing." "Yes, she is," Rae agreed with a chuckle. "Amazing enough to land an Aelven lover many years ago..." She stroked the tip of one ear. "Oh!" Rona exclaimed. "Tell me about her?" she suggested. They spent some time talking about Raebessa and her family. Her grandfather was a wandering Aelven adventurer by the name of Enobosil, who had come and lived among the M'Chal for a number of years. He had become quite smitten by the gorgeous young Wiusa, Rae's grandmother, and she with him; their exceptional love bore them a child, a rare happenstance indeed for the two species. That child was Rae's father, Norbosil. Enobosil was a scholar, a scout, and a mage, come to the region to investigate the numerous ruins in the mountains to the east. While he was careful in his planning and preparation, the missions he took deep into Hobgoblin territory were dangerous. Some of the more daring warriors of the M'Chal had joined with the Aelf for these excursions, and they had some successful trips, coming back with scouting reports, mineral and biological samples, cultural analysis, and even some valuable loot. Then, the party did not return from one of these summer trips, and none were ever seen again. Wiusa was heartbroken, of course, but moved on to start a family with others after a while. Norbosil was slow to mature, so much so that even his ten-years-younger sister reached puberty before he did. He became a hunter of uncanny ability, spending much of his time in nature. He was loyal to his family, though. Norbosil and Rae's mother Mivana become lovers, and then oath-bonded, and Rae was born soon after. She was also slow to mature, although not quite as much so as her father. She was now, she informed Rona, twenty-nine years old, although she appeared no older than Rona herself at eighteen. She was already eshtale, she explained, because she had pledged herself to the Goddess of Love and been given the power of Peace. This ability was certainly very convenient for someone whose job, quite often, was to settle inter-domestic disputes and cool hot heads; and that she could offer counsel and comfort to the suffering made her even more valuable in the position. As the priestess talked, Rona started to understand why her community trusted her implicitly. Rae was so open, enthusiastic, and overflowing with love and gratitude for her tribesmen and family, that Rona was quite caught up in the tale; until she suddenly realized she was having trouble focusing her eyes, and smothered a yawn. Rae took her by the hand then, and led her back to the room they had set her gear in. A cozy bed was set up in a deep niche in the back wall. Rona sank into the fluffy mattress gratefully, Rae obligingly tucked the blankets around her, and she fell asleep even as the priestess quietly closed the door.

The next day, Rona started to become acquainted with the community of Crystal Towers, with Rae as her guide. The priestess was not eshtale this day, and they were free to wander about. Rae was well-liked by her tribe, and greeted cheerfully wherever they went. The children especially were happy to see her, and they engaged in numerous games throughout the day, frolicking and laughing. Along the way, Rona was gifted some clothing and adornments by other women, so she soon was wearing a comfortable sun dress and fancy sandals. Rae was complimentary and supportive to everyone they came across, leaving the women beaming and the men grinning; or sometimes, blushing and stammering. It was a relaxing and enjoyable day, full of tales and laughter and enough introductions to make Rona's head spin. Night fell and once again they dined together in the garden. Afterwards, their conversation took a more serious tone, as Rona told Rae the full story of the altercation that led to her exile, and of her journey to the M'Chal. Speaking of the events of the last several days moved Rona to tears, as even then she was still trying to fully comprehend the sudden life changes that had taken place. Rae was very understanding and sympathetic, and when Rona cried, she cried with her; and held her until the tears stopped flowing. Rona slept well again that night, at peace with what had happened.

The next day Rona spent with the warriors, getting a grand tour of the town's outposts and defenses, and an overview of the aerial abilities of the M'Chal. From the gliding wings to the rope-jumpers, the M'Chal were masters of their mountainous environment, and Rona could see numerous new skills and equipment that she would like to learn. A training regimen was decided upon to best complement her abilities, and Rona went back to the temple feeling inspired and hopeful that she could quickly become a valuable asset to her gracious hosts. That evening, after dinner, Rae led Rona up into the rocks behind the temple; up a steep winding stairway to a small basin at the top of one of the towers. The view was spectacular from here, the waxing moon above lighting the towers around them with its gentle glow. They looked at the stars for a while, taking in the serene beauty of the landscape along with the sweet-smelling herb they smoked out of a sparkling crystal pipe. It was quite heady stuff, and as Rona gazed at her companion's silhouette, recognition dawned on her. "You were in my vision!" she exclaimed, and then had to explain what she was talking about. Rae seemed very interested in the vision, asking several questions about one detail or another. The sriwi'ani in particular she was curious about; and when Rona had answered her questions as best she could, the priestess sat down close to her and whispered in her ear. "A few are friends of mine. Look, up there." Rae pointed up into the sky, tracing a line. "They are watching, much of the time." She giggled. "They seem to find us amusing, or at least entertaining. Especially our love lives. We mammals do things much different than they do." Rona laughed. "I can only imagine." She thought she saw a blurring of the stars where Rae was pointing. The priestess's body was warm and soft and neither of them felt inclined to separate while they watched the night sky. After some time, thirst drove them to descend to the garden for more plum wine. Rae filled their glasses full and toasted her guest with a sparkle in her eye. "To you, Rona, a beautiful addition to the Crystal Towers! I am blessed by your presence." Rona blushed a bit and lowered her eyes modestly. "I am the blessed one, priestess, to have found my way to your light." She raised her eyes to Rae's again, and they both drank deeply. Rae's face was slightly flushed, and she stood on her tiptoes and inhaled deeply. She exhaled slowly, keeping eye contact with Rona, and smiled, her full lips glistening in the moonlight. "I think it's time to go inside for my light show." The light show turned out to be spectacular. Rae lit lanterns in the corners of the main room and dialed knobs underneath them; these little machines rotated the lanterns slowly as they unwound, the cylinders around the lamps pierced with holes to let the light shine through intermittedly. The result was a myriad of sparkling from all the crystal ornamentation in the room, rainbows and colors and shimmering reflections in every direction, constantly changing in a bewilderingly complex array. Rona found herself sitting on the edge of the great round bed, sipping the delicious plum wine, bedazzled and relaxed and utterly lost in the moment. It was somehow perfect when Rae sat next to her, intimately close, her long smooth legs brushing against her own. Rae's skin was warm and the electric feeling rushed through Rona again as she turned her gaze on her fair hostess. Rae wore only a filmy short nightgown now, and Rona drank in her ethereal beauty. Her hostess smiled languidly and caressed her face lightly, then kissed her tenderly. Rona's entire being seemed alight then, the sensations and emotions heightening as her body responded to Rae's gentle touch. The priestess's hands caressed here and there, stroking her neck, her hair, her arms; brushing against Rona's erect nipples, down her ribcage and gently across her soft abdomen. Rona rose to her caresses, body yearning, as the passion flared from a spark to a roaring inferno. Soon the scant clothing had been discarded and they made sweet love together, with a seemingly insatiable hunger. Despite her inexperience, Rona was instinctive and enthusiastic as she explored Rae's beautiful body with her fingers and her lips, delighting as the priestess's breath came in gasps, and little moans of pleasure; and as her dripping womanhood grew warm and swollen, the kisses and caresses grew ever more heated. Time seemed to stand still for them as they brought each other to peaks of pleasure and finally to writhing, moist climax; then, they cuddled together in an intimate embrace, sweaty, covered in each others' juices, and utterly satisfied. As Rona lay spooned against the priestess, her arm draped over her lover's ribcage, feet tangled together as if in tribute to their ecstasy; her last thought put a smile on her beautiful lips as she drifted off to sleep. She was home.

#fantasy adventure love

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surveys-at-your-service · 4 years

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Survey #271

“some of those who work forces are the same that burn crosses.”

Do you cook on the stove at all, or just microwave? I just use the microwave. I'm scared of the stove lmao. Do you ever debate religion with your friends? Bruuuh no. I am so disinterested in debating about something that to me ultimately doesn't matter yet humanity has made so serious. Whatever happens after we die, happens, there's that. Just be a decent human being and go out knowing you did your best to make the world better than when you entered it. Do you keep your shampoo in the shower or someplace else? In the shower. Something your mother said or did that shocked you: Like... recently? Or in my entire life? I dunno about recently, but I guess the most shocking to me was when she vehemently called my sister something I won't repeat. Did your mom go to college? She was before the cancer. Ready to graduate, too, but that didn't go as planned thanks to, y'know, cancer. Which food do you think you have the most cans of in your cupboard? Good question, no clue. I don't really pay attention to the canned foods. Maybe fruits? Do you save fortunes from fortune cookies? No. Are you offended when Christmas is spelled Xmas? Nah. Where do you put your keys when you come home? In my purse. Describe your favorite mug or glass to drink from? I don't have one. That I use, anyway. Sara gave me a Markiplier quote one that's a Holy Item on my shelf and instead of holding a beverage holds All My Love. Your bad habit that you love the most: UGH I hate how much I love soda. Invent a pop tart flavor: STORY TIME!!!! As a kid, there was this contest to design a type and you won like... a fucking huge supply of the newest flavor, which was at the time that wild berry whatever thing. My sister and I made one that I think I recall being pink with heart sprinkles and strawberry flavored, and we won. Guess who fucking hates the wild berry flavor now lmao. Okay but anyway if I was to invent one now... is there a BLUE raspberry flavor? Cuz a bitch loves blue raspberry flavored everything. Do you name your pets after tv/movie/book characters: Sometimes. I don't currently have a pet that is, though. Are you proud of yourself for what you've accomplished? The few things I actually have, sure? I'm more ashamed of what I haven't. Do you own any sexy lingerie? Nooooo no one would want to see me in that, least of all myself lmao. Have you ever caught a bouquet of flowers at a wedding before? No. Has a horse ever neighed at you before? Uhhh I don't think so? Do you prefer ice cream or sorbet? Ice cream. Have you gotten your pets spayed? My cat is. That's like... the only pet we ever have fixed, sadly. My parents/Mom (depending on time period) could just never afford it. The only real reason we managed to get Roman neutered was because our sister directed us to a cheap on-the-go business where it was like... only $45, and Roman was marking the house badly so it was pretty urgent. Would you ever take in a stray animal? HA, that is the STORY of my family with cats. At this current time, most likely not. We don't need another pet right now, nevermind one of a mysterious background with my mom being sick. When is payday? N/A Have you ever walked on a runway before? No. How long is your workday? N/A Is there a walkway or a pathway to your front door? No. What is your favorite color? What is your least favorite color? Pink is superior to all colors. I'm really not a puke-green fan, but I mean... is anyone? What color dominates your wardrobe? Everything is B L A C K. What color are your eyes? Grayish blue. Are you colorblind, or do you know anyone who is? I'm not, but Jason's brother is colorblind to I think red and blue? Do you prefer color photos or black-and white? It greatly depends on the composition and subject matter of the photograph. I find great beauty in both. If I had to pick though, color usually appeals to me more. Are you one of those people who can taste, feel, or smell colors? No. Have you ever seen a double rainbow before? Yes. Do you enjoy coloring? It tends to be my least-favorite part of the art process because that's where I always fuck shit up. Do you know anyone who is racist? Oh my, PLENTY. Welcome to the South. Are your nails painted any color(s) right now? They never are. Can you lift more than 100lbs? I probably CAN, but it would be very hard. What's your opinion on incest? It's fucking repulsive. Morally and negative from a scientific standpoint, anyway. Do you have a favorite color for cats? Orange. What video games did you play when you were younger? I was a massive gamer as a kid, teenager too, so I could put a hell of a lot here. But, I'll just imagine you're referring to when I was quite young. The Spyro games (save for Skylanders) were my LIFE, I loved Nintendogs, the Crash Bandicoot trilogy, lots of games that were based on movies (like Madagascar and Finding Nemo are two I really enjoyed), uhhh... OH! And absolutely weird, but I loved hunting games. Like, I had a whooole lot, despite hating real life hunting even as a child. I think it was because I got to see wild animals, plus it could be calming to wander and scary, too, when things like wolves found you. Oh, and then there were fishing games, too. LOOK I just love(d) games. Would you ever get a tramp stamp? I hate that nickname. Having a tattoo literally anywhere does not equate you to a stereotype. Yes, because I want to be heavily tattooed anyway. Did you cry when Michael Jackson died? No. Not that I didn't care at all, I just wasn't a giant fan. What's the ugliest species of animal? Lmao how mean. The blobfish immediately comes to mind, though. Looks like a ball of mucus shaped into an old man's face. Are you embarrassed about any songs on your iPod? I used to be, now it's just like whatever. I like what I like. What do you use to listen to music on the computer? YouTube. Do people know a lot about you? Places on the Internet sure do lmao. I try to be much more private now online to a degree, depending on where. Irl, no. I'm too easily embarrassed/afraid of being judged for what makes me, me. Who was the last person you slept beside? Sara. Do you like Metallica? They're one of my all-time favorites and I trust NOBODY who claims to hate them. What's your favorite kind of soup? I'm not a fan of soup. What’s your best friend's favorite band? Her all-time favorite is Pink Floyd. Who was the last person you took a picture with? Ummm idr. Do you play Guitar Hero? Not really anymore, but I fuckin slayed that shit back in the day. Whose house did you last visit? My older sister's. Who was the last person to come to your house? My younger sister. What time do you usually eat dinner? Anywhere between 5:30 to like... 7:00 or so. Have you ever searched your own house on Google Earth? Not this current one, no. Does it bother you when people have a loose grip on hugs? No? Some people don't like hugs. Are you looking forward to next year? I don't know. Is covid gonna be history by then? It depends on a lot of things. What have you done so far this summer? *blink blink blink* What's your favorite punk band? Honestly, I don't even really separate bands by genres now because I don't know. There's so so many, plenty overlap, etc. etc, and people - especially those who enjoy rock/metal stuff, I've found - get all snobbish and "WELL ACTUALLY" when you "misgenre" or whatever. Which is better: cold or hot weather? COLD. FUCK hot weather. Anything above ~75*F is disgusting. Is photography something you enjoy? I'm an aspiring photographer so like- What’s the best flavor snow cone? I haven't had a legit snow cone in years... but we have a place called Pelican's Snowballs, which is really just like... snow cones in a cup? They are A M A Z I N G and strawberry is to die for. When driving, are you a speed demon or do you drive like your grandmother? I don't drive because I'm terrified to. Have you ever met someone who just had you at hello? No. Bet you were expecting "Jason," but no, I was weirded out that a stranger just comes up to me in the hall on the way to class and starts talking to me. Have you ever written poetry? Yeah. Do you have any addictions? Technology, ugh. And soda, rip. When was the last time you just laid and looked at the stars? Laid, many years ago one summer when Jason and I were just lying on the trampoline while my dad was grilling. What song reminds you of an ex? A lot. What color eyeliner do you prefer? Black. What was the last thing that you made with your own two hands? Like, made from scratch? Hell if I know. What’s the deepest water you will wade into? Like, shoulder-deep in the ocean. How many blades does your razor have? Three, I think? Highest grade of education you’ve completed? Just one semester of college. Lowest grade you’ve received on a test? Yikes, Fs in college math. He taught in such an abstract way that I failed like... every test, or nearly did. I was too afraid to ask questions continuously. Do you enjoy sitting in the sun or the shade more? There is NO situation where I would rather be in the sun. Do you enjoy going to arcades? Hell yeah. What parades do you like to go to? None. When’s the last time you went on a tirade? I ranted to Mom about the fucking ridiculous anti-maskers that are a big reason this motherfucking pandemic is worsening in America. With my mom being immunocompromised, it is something I take VERY goddamn seriously. It's not a difference in opinion - it's a difference in morality. Do you like to play charades? I loved to as a kid. Now it'd feel weird. Would you ever lead a crusade? I wouldn't want to lead anything. Have your parents ever forbade you from doing something? Aha, so as a kid, I had a game demo disc that showed the preview to Parasite Eve, and my sisters and I would secretly watch it despite it scaring us to where Mom did forbid us to click on it. And all these years later, I've played it and love it... ha ha. Otherwise, my parents have always been pretty open to letting us do stuff, save for things the usual parent doesn't like, like swearing. When’s the last time someone said something degrading to you? A few days back when I got into an argument on Facebook about some asshole teasing their newly-hatched cobra to where it kept striking at the tongs, hood flared and all. Apparently I had no idea what I was talking about, pointing out the snake was clearly stressed out. What’s the last homemade dish you’ve made? I legit haven't cooked a thing since Sara was here and I made her eggs for breakfast. Which was like, a year ago. Do you like lemonade? What flavor(s)? Broooo YES. Pink lemonade is better, but I enjoy just the classic kind, too. Has anyone ever serenaded you before? Fuck this question. Would you like to visit the Everglades? Lemme see them motherfuckin GATORS. Have you ever attended a masquerade ball before? No. Would be dope, though. Have you lost anyone to AIDS? No, thank god. Have you ever been paid for sex? Hell no. Have you ever had a maid in your home before? HUNNY we are too poor for that shit. Do you know how to do different types of braids in hair? No. When’s the last time you wore a Band-aid? Where and why? I have no clue. When was the last time you were afraid? Of what? A family friend was over here a couple days ago and she had this weirdest muscle cramp in her leg that brought her to the floor gasping for like over a minute. I was super scared, and Mom was too, as we had no idea what to do. I almost had to call 911. Crazy woman hasn't gone to the doctor about it, to my knowledge. Would you ever consider growing your hair out to your waist, or longer? NOOOO NO NO. I am probably having short hair for the rest of my life. Is there anywhere in your house that you're scared to be alone in? No. What is your favorite shoe brand? I don't have one. What weird things did you do as a small child? I was just a weird kid in general. I did a lotta stuff that would make people raise a brow. Who puts the most pressure on you in your life? My goddamn self. Do you laugh off embarrassing moments? Hell no, I turn red as a cherry and probably cry once I'm in private. Do you have a favourite actor/actress? If so, who? No. Do you like little kids, or do they annoy you? I feel uncomfortable around them. They're too brutally honest, I feel like every move I make is wrong, and I just generally feel incapable of handling them properly. Do you want a small or a large family when you get older? Well, I don't want any kids, so... Are you a good dancer? If not, do you enjoy dancing anyways? No and no. I'd be embarrassed. Have you ever lied to avoid getting into trouble? Yeah. Have you ever been admitted to the hospital for a long period of time? I'd say two weeks is pretty long, and I was supposed to stay an entire month. I only got out of that by going to court. Do you take a lot of pictures of yourself, or are you camera shy? I HATE being in front of the camera. What are your choice of toppings on a hamburger? And do you prefer gas or charcoal grilling? I just like ketchup, mustard, and pickles, really. A bit of diced onion is fine, too. I prefer gas; I hate the charcoal-y taste. You are chosen to have lunch with the president. the condition is you only get to ask one question. What do you ask? Fuck that, I'd decline going to begin with. What is your concession stand must-have at the movies? Popcorn, of course. Which do you dislike most: pop-up ads or spam email? Pop-up ads. How long was it from ‘the first date’ until the proposal of marriage? How long until the wedding? N/A What topic can put you to sleep quicker than any other? Probably like, wrestling. Golf. Sports in general. How many times did it take you to pass your drivers test? I haven't tried it yet. If you had to have the same topping on your vanilla ice cream for the rest of your life, what topping would you choose? I always just use chocolate syrup. Would you rather be trapped in an elevator, or stuck in traffic? CHRIST, TRAFFIC. Elevators kinda scare me and I'm very scared of being stuck in one. What are you sitting on right now? My bed. Are you listening to anything? Halocene's cover of "Killing In The Name." Have you parents ever hated one of your boyfriends/girlfriends? No. Who was the last person to give you money? I have no idea. Have you ever dreamed of someone you barely know? Actually yeah. Weird as hell. When was the most recent time, if ever, that you felt “impostor syndrome,” or that you felt unqualified to be somewhere? Hm. I suppose when I went to the doctor by myself for my foot. I'd never done an appointment without Mom at all, and I was veeery clueless to a lot of steps, questions, etc. What are some ways that pop culture has helped you learn historic or scientific facts? Some TV shows, I guess. Or games, even. Have you ever had a job in which you felt that you had nothing to do? What was the protocol in that situation (e.g., surfing the web, taking on the job of co-workers, or pretending to work)? If you have not, do you think it would be lucky or unlucky to have such a job? No. I was expected to always be doing something. I'd consider that to be pretty unlucky, as it sounds boring and pointless. Have you ever intimidated or made another person feel legitimately threatened? If not, do you think that you could ever be seen as scary? I don't know. Mom has admitted me yelling has scared her before, though. I can yell pretty fucking loudly. But she herself never felt threatened. And do I think I could be seen as scary? Yes. Especially given my chronic fucking nightmares that almost always involve confrontation. In what ways do you or would you need to be validated by a partner? (For example, liking your posts/talking about you on social media, or perhaps by doting on you with gifts.) I am VERY much a "words of affirmation" person. I NEED reassurance that I'm adequate and sincerely loved. When you are having a hard time emotionally, what are some of the telltale ways that you act out or that your personality reflects your struggles? I become very snappy and more reclusive than usual. I cry really easily. Do you tend to succeed by weaning yourself off of something or by quitting cold turkey? It depends on what it is, but I've generally needed to wean myself off of things when necessary. Is there a specific type of pet breed/size/etc. that you don’t want? Why not? I am very turned off by animal breeds/types that are subject to serious health issues, such as pugs, dachsunds, Persians, spider ball pythons... Just don't fucking breed them. Ironically, some of these are the cutest, but I care far more about the health of the animal. Have you ever lived in a notoriously dangerous area? If not, would it bother you to do so? Yes and yes. Has a friend’s significant other ever interfered with or damaged your friendship? What about a significant other of yours damaging a friendship? I don't believe so, no. What, if anything, is something that you put pressure on yourself about? What do you imagine would happen if you did not live up to this expectation? Getting a job, for Heaven's sake, and actually managing to keep it. I've proven inept in this area so far, so, I've already failed that. :^) If you have been in a serious relationship, have you and your partner ever discussed lifetime plans that clashed? Did you reconcile them or did you break up? If you have not been in a relationship, what are some issues that would be deal-breakers? Jason and I kinda casually talked about kids early in our relationship, at which time I didn't see myself wanting them at all and he did at some point. It didn't really bother either of us, though; it was something we'd figure out if we actually got anywhere. Then he became the only person I could ever imagine myself having kids with. Life's funny.

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