Sometime past the midnight hour, Sara hears her locked door open. A figure is momentarily silhouetted in the light from the hall as it slips through and closes the door. As candlelight fills the room and some of the ravens flutter awake, the figure resolves itself as Zhi.
She is dressed in an elegant gown of emerald green with cream highlights. The decolletage is cut low and there appears to be mechanical support because she is most definitely showing cleavage.
She holds a bottle in each hand. One is brown and bears the mark of a local vintner respected for their whiskey. The other is white frosted glass with a matching stopper that is emblazoned with Minkaian lettering.
And is she ... taller?
She raises the hand holding the white bottle to her face and places one finger on her lips.
"Shhhh. I don't want to wake anyone up," she slurs. A giggle follows. "Oops, too late I guess," she adds.
A closer look at the white bottle confirms that it's only two-thirds full.
"Ravens? Where'd they come from?" she frowns a moment as if that means something more then shakes her head.
"I owe you two," she says as she tosses the brown bottle onto the bed. "That one's supposed to be really good. I hope so 'cause it was espen ... eksten ... it cost a lot. This one ... "
She holds up the white bottle and looks at it.
"Father would drink this stuff. When I was little once I snuck a sip," she says making a face. "Yuck."
She tips it back and forth, her head tipping in time with the bottle.
"You know what I found?" She takes out the stopper and takes a drink. "After a few swallows, it's not half bad."
Her hand drops back down to her side, the contents of the bottle sloshing around.
"Do you like my dress?" she says with a questioning smile at the taller woman.
"I bought it to look pretty," she continues, looking down at it. Her gaze falls on her chest. Her free hand reaches up and with her index finger, she pokes the top of one breast. "See? Zileska was right, with the right support I almost have boobies."
She giggles again.
"I can even say it," she says, alternating poking each breast, "'boobies', 'boobies', 'boobies', 'boobies'."
She looks up and takes a step forward and then slightly stumbles. She looks down at her feet and then raises her skirt with one hand to show the boots she's wearing. They're a cream-colored leather with at least a 5" heel.
"I can even be taller too," she continues, looking back up at Sara.
"Do you think I'm pretty?" she asks in a fearful voice, her eyes welling up with tears. "Please say I'm pretty."
She takes a shuddering breath.
"Please say you want me."
The tears spill over and begin running down her cheeks.
"No one else does."
Sometime past the midnight hour, Sara hears her locked door open. A figure is momentarily silhouetted in the light from the hall as it slips through and closes the door. As candlelight fills the room and some of the ravens flutter awake, the figure resolves itself as Zhi.
Sara shoots up in bed, waking Malphene, the both of them are still naked. Sara assures Malphene that everything is alright and to go back to sleep as she gets up and heads toward Zhi, visibly upset.
"What are you doing?" she hisses. "What could possibly possess you to break in to my room at this time of the night!"
She is dressed in an elegant gown of emerald green with cream highlights. The decolletage is cut low and there appears to be mechanical support because she is most definitely showing cleavage.
She holds a bottle in each hand. One is brown and bears the mark of a local vintner respected for their whiskey. The other is white frosted glass with a matching stopper that is emblazoned with Minkaian lettering.
And is she ... taller?
She raises the hand holding the white bottle to her face and places one finger on her lips.
"Shhhh. I don't want to wake anyone up," she slurs. A giggle follows. "Oops, too late I guess," she adds.
"Oh, you think? I'm sorry, would you like me to drunkenly break into your room at one in the morning?" She says this a little louder than she intended and her eyes pop open after, glancing back at Malphene to see if she has stirred.
A closer look at the white bottle confirms that it's only two-thirds full.
"Ravens? Where'd they come from?" she frowns a moment as if that means something more then shakes her head.
"I owe you two," she says as she tosses the brown bottle onto the bed. "That one's supposed to be really good. I hope so 'cause it was espen ... eksten ... it cost a lot. This one ... "
She holds up the white bottle and looks at it.
"Father would drink this stuff. When I was little once I snuck a sip," she says making a face. "Yuck."
She tips it back and forth, her head tipping in time with the bottle.
"You know what I found?" She takes out the stopper and takes a drink. "After a few swallows, it's not half bad."
Her hand drops back down to her side, the contents of the bottle sloshing around.
Sara hurriedly takes the bottles away from Zhi, blushing. She places them on her desk and pulls on a robe, suddenly self conscious. "Thank you, Zhi, you are very sweet. I, I appreciate you immensely. Now go."
"Do you like my dress?" she says with a questioning smile at the taller woman.
"I bought it to look pretty," she continues, looking down at it. Her gaze falls on her chest. Her free hand reaches up and with her index finger, she pokes the top of one breast. "See? Zileska was right, with the right support I almost have boobies."
She giggles again.
"I can even say it," she says, alternating poking each breast, "'boobies', 'boobies', 'boobies', 'boobies'."
Sara blushes deeply, folding her arms to keep her robe shut tight. It is clearly difficult for her to keep her eyes away from the girl's new cleavage. "You, ah, have always been, well, gorgeous, Zhi. And your corset is certainly doing you a ton of favors," she bites her lower lip and instinctively reaches out to brush her hand against yours. "I'm sure you get why people like to wear them now."
She looks up and takes a step forward and then slightly stumbles. She looks down at her feet and then raises her skirt with one hand to show the boots she's wearing. They're a cream-colored leather with at least a 5" heel.
"I can even be taller too," she continues, looking back up at Sara.
With you in heels and Sara not, you are much closer to her height; what is often a difference of 16" is now only 7". Though you are still much shorter, looking up at her and her gazing back down, and with your bodies so close they almost touch, your lips are only moments apart from each other.
But Sara turns away before you have the chance to steal a kiss.
"Do you, Zhi, feel the need to be taller? To have bigger t!!&? Or is all this meant for me? Because I don't want that. And I don't need that."
"Do you think I'm pretty?" she asks in a fearful voice, her eyes welling up with tears. "Please say I'm pretty."
She takes a shuddering breath.
"Please say you want me."
The tears spill over and begin running down her cheeks.
"No one else does."
Sara pulls Zhi into her arms and shushes her, petting her head and letting her cry into her shoulder.
"Of course I think you're pretty. You're beautiful Zhi, you always have been. You're my friend and I love you. And because I love you, Zhi," hands on your shoulders, Sara pulls away from the embrace, her robe fluttering open. "Because I love you, I'm not going to do this. Not tonight. No matter how badly I do or do not want you. And, and it's considerable," she blushes and holds herself, closing her robe again. "But you're drunk, and I can't do this. I can't take advantage of you like this, it, it wouldn't be right.
"If you're really sincere about this, leave now and and and, we can," a deep inhale, "talk about it in the morning. But as for now," she jerks her head back towards the bed, where Malphene still lays (hopefully) asleep. "I have company. Now, let me walk you back to your room. I insist."
She ties off the robe and cracks open the door, grabbing your wrist as if to guide you.
"What are you doing?" she hisses. "What could possibly possess you to break in to my room at this time of the night!"
"Oh phshhththt" Zhi says, dismissing the question with a wave of her hand. "If you didn't want anyone to come in, you'd get a real lock."
"Oh, you think? I'm sorry, would you like me to drunkenly break into your room at one in the morning?" She says this a little louder than she intended and her eyes pop open after, glancing back at Malphene to see if she has stirred.
"Maybe." the young woman replies, her eyes downcast.
"If you're really sincere about this, leave now and and and, we can," a deep inhale, "talk about it in the morning. But as for now," she jerks her head back towards the bed, where Malphene still lays (hopefully) asleep. "I have company. Now, let me walk you back to your room. I insist."
She ties off the robe and cracks open the door, grabbing your wrist as if to guide you.
For the first time, it seems to sink in to Zhi's muddled mind that Sara isn't alone.
In spite of her inebriation, she slips from Sara's grasp and moves to the side to get a clearer view of the bed. As it becomes clear to her who is in the bed, the color drains from her face.
Her hands reach up to wipe away the cascading tears as if that will change what she sees. She looks back at Sara, her eyes accusing but no words forthcoming.
Shyly she smiles and blushes. "I did it. I pinned her. Come on, let's take you to your room. You and I are gonna talk in the morning."
Zhi looks back and forth between Sara and the sleeping woman. After opening and closing her mouth several times, she manages to breathlessly stammer out, "Gomen'nasai. Watashi wa ahodesu. Watashi wa kesshite kita hazu ga arimasen. Watashi wa anata o mōichido ki ni shimasen."
She then pushes past Sara and pulls the door closed behind her.
Sara waits a few seconds, groggily processing what's happening. "Gods !" she shouts and stamps her foot. "I'm sorry, Malphene, I have to take care of this."
She leaves the room and scans the hall for Zhi.
Maria was a bit surprised to see Melodie - and not just because one more step would've knocked the pair of them to the street. She knew that Darius wasn't far from the d'Valois estate but figured the odds of running into the young noble was especially slim.
She was sure that Melodie would've been rather surprised by her choice of clothing. With no cases to work on and things seeming to have calmed down somewhat, she'd dressed in more casual clothing - a sleeveless white dress belted with a red sash at her waist, one side of the skirt slit high to mid-thigh, and a pair of comfortable sandals. Most might've found the choice of clothing a little too light for the weather, but one of the perks of being a tiefling was that you tended not to notice the temperature until it reached truly life-threatening extremes.
"Melodie, hey," she said. She smiled at her little mime display before flashily twirling the cane and tucking it under her arm. "It is, and rather better-suited to it than my old one. I'd been debating getting one with a tiger's head for the pommel but turns out the ears on it would dig into my palm when using it as a walking cane."
She grimaced a bit at the mention of using ones cleavage to store a knife. "Theoretically, it can be done. In practice, it's a terrible and terribly-uncomfortable idea. Besides; half the people who you'd be needing to use it to defend yourself from are the sort who'd have their eyes glued to your chest, somewhat throws concealability out the window. You might be able to get away with doing that with a punch dagger, if you could conceal the grip to look like some sort of elaborate necklace. Honestly; better off wearing it on your belt or thigh. Maybe hide a particularly thin stiletto in the forearm part of long gloves, perhaps. Can I see the dagger? I might have better ideas after having a look at it."
Sara scans the hall, hearing and seeing nothing. She angrily returns to her own room, slamming the door behind her. "Sorry, Malphene. Sorry about all of that, titan's ." She pours two glasses of whiskey, one taller than the other, and brings them over to the bed, offering one to the tall, sleepy, naked woman.
"I did the right thing, right?" She pauses but not long enough for Malphene to offer a reply, simply continuing to yammer on as she does when anxious.
"What do I do now? I mean I think I should go over there and reassure her, talk and s%#@ but, Idunno is that creepy? Should I keep a respectful distance, let her handle her emotions, or like maybe she's just too drunk, and me going over there would accomplish nothing, anyway. She's my friend. I want to help, but am I the problem?" She takes a heavy sip, downing half the glass.
"Should I stay or should I go now?" She crosses her legs, knee over knee and takes a small sip before continuing. "If I go, there will be trouble."
Out of her small bag Melodie produces the dagger she acquired two days previously - a beautifully balanced blade, but clearly sized for someone smaller than the not particularly tall young noble. In her hand it is not that much more threatening than a knitting needle.
"I got it the other day." Melodie says. "It seemed as though I should probably have something like it, if we keep going to those kind of parties. Oh, and Maria? What do you know about disguises? I need to go out tonight to some places where I probably shouldn't be seen."
After a long night in less salubrious parts of town Melodie, or Marten as she is currently dressed, is returning to her his home through the quieter residential streets when a commotion catches her ear. Pausing in the street Melodie soon sees a beautifully dressed young woman, clearly dressed for a date, come stumbling (at remarkable speed) out of one of the front doors and into the street. As the woman nearly spills over Melodie moves to help, remembering just in time to speak to lower her voice to a more masculine register.
"Hello Miss, Let me help you up there." Grasping the young woman's arm to steady her Melodie suddenly realises she is propping Zhi up, a Zhi who has clearly had a lot to drink and has put even more effort into her appearance than Melodie has! "Mai! *Ahem* That is may I help you back to your home, my lady?"
"Well for a start, we should look into getting you a more appropriately-sized blade. Concealable this might be - and quite well-made - but it's sized for a halfling or the like; you'd never be able to hold this properly to fight with. You should be able to get some use out of it, but I really would suggest finding something more appropriate for your size." She handed the blade back.
"I'm afraid I'm not much good at disguises, though, far less need of them in investigative work than you might expect. That being said; I believe my father had some books on the subject back home which should give us a starting point."
Malphene is a rather heavy sleeper, but she finally wakes up when Sara slams the door to the room. She props her head up with an arm, formerly coiffed hair spilling down over her shoulder and covering her breast. She stirs the offered whiskey but doesn't drink it as Sara speaks.
"But if you stay, it won't be double," Malphene finally says. "Zhi's not in a right state of mind now. You can't negotiate with drunk. Let her sleep it off and sit down with her in the morning. Then you two can work out whatever it is that's going on between you."
She finally downs the whiskey in a single shot, grimacing. "Gods, I hate love triangles."
"It's only a triangle because she thinks she'd be competing for my affections, as if you're standing in her way and I'm just some prize to be won, no question given to whether or not I'm interested!" She finishes the first glass and walks back to the desk to pour herself another one. Afterward she pauses and offers Malphene a second as well, waiting for the woman's approval to pour.
"There's no upper limit to my love." She sits back down and drinks. "My heart is infinite and I don't have to portion and parcel it out to give it to those I care about. Our love exists separately, each person given their own thoughts, their own experiences. I love love, and I love loving." Her eyes widen and she stares at the woman in her bed, blushing. "Not that I love you or anything. I mean I'm not unwilling to, I just, I I I, g%*#!!n it Malphene! Stop looking at me like that, you're making me blush!"
She takes another long sip and sighs.
"You're right, though. This is a task for sober minds."
She slides off her robe and lies down beside Malphene, facing away.
"She's just so selfish."
After a long and weighted silence, Sara rolls over and kisses Malphene's forehead. "Hey."
She pulls the woman into a tight embrace, tears forming in her eyes but refusing to let them fall.
"Thank you. I'm sorry."
Malphene holds Sara close, warm bodies pressed together under the sheets.
"It's fine. Let's just get some sleep."
Her lips find Sara's in the darkness.
After a long night in less salubrious parts of town Melodie, or Marten as she is currently dressed, is returning to
herhis home through the quieter residential streets when a commotion catches her ear. Pausing in the street Melodie soon sees a beautifully dressed young woman, clearly dressed for a date, come stumbling (at remarkable speed) out of one of the front doors and into the street. As the woman nearly spills over Melodie moves to help, remembering just in time to speak to lower her voice to a more masculine register."Hello Miss, Let me help you up there." Grasping the young woman's arm to steady her Melodie suddenly realises she is propping Zhi up, a Zhi who has clearly had a lot to drink and has put even more effort into her appearance than Melodie has! "Mai! *Ahem* That is may I help you back to your home, my lady?"
"Watashi dō yatte, koko ni kita ndarou?" the small woman mutters, looking around confused.
Her mind finally registers the young 'man' asking her the question and she takes a startled step back reaching to her hip.
"Stay away from me! I'll ... " she begins, but pauses finding nothing on her hip to grasp. This discovery seems to open up the floodgates again and tears start to pour out.
"Stupid! Stupid! Stupid!" she castigates herself as she drops to a sitting position on the ground.
"Yes, please. I want to go home." she finally mutters out between sobs.
Zhi looks down at the men gathered at the bottom of the ramp. They were dressed differently then the men that usually chased Zhi and her father.
Why did they stop chasing us?
*I thought so,* her father says loudly. *The treaty binds even you, doesn't it?*
*Don't be so smug, Mai!* one of the men calls out. *We'll be here when you come off that boat!*
*You may have to wait a while,* Zhi's father replies with a chuckle. *This boat is departing this afternoon and we have no plans on leaving before then.*
*You're a fool. Our oath binds us. We will cross any ocean to recover what you've taken.*
Her father dismisses the man's words with a wave of his hand and turns towards the side of the boat facing the open sea.
*Come Zhi. Let us ignore the chattering of squirrels and take in the beauty of the ever-present sea.*
Zhi continues looking at the angry men for a moment before turning to join her father. He takes her hand and smiles down at her.
*It seems the Raven is no longer welcome in Kasai*
Raven?
The yellow eyes of the ravens occupying the gilt cages in Sara's room seemed to look at Zhi balefully.
A figure stirs in the bed. Malphene!
"You!?" Zhi snarls.
"Yes, me." the woman responds with complete satisfaction. "You know she would never be happy with you. Remember Rule number One, little girl; The world owes you nothing."
Zhi moves to strike the woman but finds herself bound tightly in the corset around her. She struggles for a moment against the retraints.
Malphene laughs.
Zhi stops struggling and something within her calms. She opens her mouth to speak words she doesn't know, but the only thing that comes forth is a shrill call.
In response, the doors to all the cages burst open and ravens pour forth in a flurry of feathers, croaks and cries.
"What are you doing?!" Malphene shrieks as the birds begin to circle around and then close in on her.
"I'm done with the rules," Zhi says as the birds begin to tear at the woman's flesh.
--
Zhi gasps and sits up in bed. Still feeling the constriction of the vivid dream, she looks down to see the corset still bound tightly around her. She turns and slides her feet onto the floor, pushing aside the dress and boots piled on the floor there.
A wave of nausea washes over her and she barely reaches the chamber pot in time.
It was just a dream.
Rising and wiping her mouth, she stumbles over to the table where her thigh-bag with her tools rests. She hesitates for a moment before reaching inside. When she pulls out her hand it's holding a silver figurine.
A raven.
"What are you trying to tell me, Father?"
Sara rises before Malphene, pulling on her robe and taking some time to do her makeup. When she is finished, she grabs the open whiskey and a bird in its gold wire cage and walks to Zhi's room.
She doesn't so much knock as she does bang on it once.
"Hey. You in there? Look we gotta talk, I don't want there to be drama and tension between us, not in general and especially not when we're about to be called on for another job."
Zhi cringes at the loud sound at the door. When she hears Sara's voice, she fights the desire to curl back up on the bed and hope the world goes away.
The only way forward is through it.
Looking down, she realizes that she's currently only wearing the corset from the night before. She draws a steadying breath and grabs a blanket from the bed to cover with and walks to the door. Throwing the bolt she walks back and sits down on the edge of the bed. Still holding the raven figurine in her hand, she calls out softly, "It's open."
She awkwardly opens it, struggling with her full hands. Closing the door behind her, Sara sets the whiskey and the bird on Zhi's desk.
She's quiet for some time after setting everything down.
"You look better than I usually do after a night like that. And where did you get that dress, it was beautiful."
After a short yet awkward pause, she continues. "So," her lips purse then smack together. "What was that, right?"
She opens the whiskey and pours herself a glass, hesitating over a second, looking at Zhi for affirmation or denial.
"For your hangover. Hair of the dog, tooth of the cat, or feather of the bird that bit ya and all that."
Zhi cringes and shakes her head at the offer of a drink. She then takes a deep breath and seems to shrink down within the blanket around her.
"I would like to apologize for last night. I had too much to drink and I was ... I was out of line. I understand that you just want ... "
Her voice cracks just a little.
don't cry don't cry don't cry
"That you just want to be friends. It won't happen again."
She pulls the blanket tighter around herself.
Melodie, after guiding Zhi back into the Inn and ensuring she makes it to her room has a decision to make. Stay and look after her, or go and allow her to pretend that it never happened... In the end she chooses discretion and departs quietly once Zhi is sleeping.
Waking early on the third morning Melodie eats, drinks strong coffee and, more fortified, walks down to the Silent Horse to check on Zhi - promising herself a nap later. She arrives to find Sara looming in the doorway and Zhi saying that something wouldn't happen again. Wait... did Zhi get dressed up for Sara? Then why would she...
Confused and uncertain Melodie gives an artificially loud cough.
Noticing Melodie's presence, Zhi's stomach roils.
Does the world have to witness my humiliation?
Sara does not hear or notice Melodie.
"Zhi," she trails off, leaving the whiskey on the desk and sitting beside her, wrapping one arm tight around the younger woman. "I didn't know you felt like this about me. I'm sorry. But I don't think you get it. It's not that I just want to be friends, Zhi, it's-" She walks back to the desk, face tight and picks up the glass of whiskey.
"Zhi, you broke into my room last night! I tied a stocking to my door to announce that I was getting laid and not to bother me. And then I locked my door. And you ignored both of those things! That's such a gross invasion of privacy, I I I, I can't.
"I understand that you were drunk, but, GODS if you had just come to me sober and been like," she raises her voice a half-note in pitch, imitating yours, "hey, Sara, you're really hot and you're my friend and I like you, do you wanna make out or f&%@ and also we can go on dates maybe, I would have said YES! Yes. I would love to experience new things with my friend, allow our relationship to grow and change, but now, I don't think I can do that with you. I may want to, but I just can't."
Despondent and sitting in the desk chair opposite the bed, she continues. "I just don't know what to do." She runs a hand through her hair, thick, black and pinstraight, and long enough to reach the small of her back.
"I'm not mad at you, I've been that drunk before and made a fool out of myself. Same as you. Same as anyone, really. I get it. But I'm hurt, Zhi." The tall woman swallows her whiskey and stands up, opening the gilt cage. The raven hops onto her finger.
"Here. This is Snow White. I was going to train her to scout and spy, but I'm giving her to you now. I'll still train her, but now you get to decide what she should learn."
She sits beside her, letting her pet the bird if she wanted to.
Sara does not hear or notice Melodie.
"Zhi," she trails off, leaving the whiskey on the desk and sitting beside her, wrapping one arm tight around the younger woman.
Zhi cringes and shifts to the side to avoid the woman's arm.
"I didn't know you felt like this about me. I'm sorry. But I don't think you get it. It's not that I just want to be friends, Zhi, it's-" She walks back to the desk, face tight and picks up the glass of whiskey.
"Zhi, you broke into my room last night! I tied a stocking to my door to announce that I was getting laid and not to bother me. And then I locked my door. And you ignored both of those things! That's such a gross invasion of privacy, I I I, I can't.
Zhi nods wordlessly.
"I understand that you were drunk, but, GODS if you had just come to me sober and been like," she raises her voice a half-note in pitch, imitating yours, "hey, Sara, you're really hot and you're my friend and I like you, do you wanna make out or f+~+ and also we can go on dates maybe, I would have said YES! Yes. I would love to experience new things with my friend, allow our relationship to grow and change, but now, I don't think I can do that with you. I may want to, but I just can't."
Despondent and sitting in the desk chair opposite the bed, she continues. "I just don't know what to do." She runs a hand through her hair, thick, black and pinstraight, and long enough to reach the small of her back.
Zhi can fight the tears no more and they begin streaming unhindered down her face.
"I'm not mad at you, I've been that drunk before and made a fool out of myself. Same as you. I get it. But I'm hurt, Zhi." The tall woman swallows her whiskey and stands up, opening the gilt cage. The raven hops onto her finger.
"Here. This is Snow White. I was going to train her to scout and spy, but I'm giving her to you now. I'll still train her, but now you get to decide what she should learn."
She sits beside her, letting her pet the bird if she wanted to.
"I'm sorry," she manages in a strained voice. "Please, I didn't mean to hurt you. Please, just ... I just wanted ... "
The sobs begin to take hold of her.
"Please, just leave me alone.
She stands up, leaving the bird to hop around your bed. "I'm sorry. I will."
She takes the bottle of whiskey and points it at you. "You said this was your father's favorite? He has good taste. I'd love to meet him one day."
Sara stops before the door, taking a long look at Zhi.
"You're still my friend. And I love you. I'm sorry it went down like this, but we'll get through it."
Opening the door to find Melodie on the other side, Sara jumps. The door closes, hitting her on the ass, startling her once more.
"Mels," she chokes out, tears streaming from her eyes. The taller woman weeps and leans against Melodie, desperate for comfort.
Melodie nearly buckles under Sara's greater height, patting the taller woman awkwardly on the back - oddly enough that patting really does seem to help as Sara feels the sadness receding, as the immediate pain fades to a dull ache.
Melodie just takes as much of Sara's weight as she could, leads her back along the corridor and listens for the cawing of ravens to find Sara's room. Opening the door she finds Malphene, more-or-less dressed, looking almost as awkward as Melodie feels. She does her best to deposit Sara on a chair and looks to her fellow noble.
"I don't know what happened here last night, and I'm sorry you've been caught in the middle of it." She says to Malphene. "Could you stay with Sara for a few minutes? I need to go and see another friend down the hall. I'll come back in a minute..." She crouches to look Sara in the eye.
"It's going to be ok Sara." She says, her voice warm and comforting like a blanket. "Malphene is going to sit with you for a bit and I'll be back in a moment, I just need to check on Zhi first."
Leaving Sara's room and shutting the door quietly she hurries back to Zhi's room and, finding the minkian teenager still curled up in her blanket she sinks to the floor with her friend. "You're really having an interesting day aren't you Mai? You dressed up so nice last night and this morning you're modelling the new blanket look." She turns Zhi's face to her own. "Talk to me Zhi. Tell me what happened."
At Melodie's touch, Zhi's sobbing abates.
"What did you ... ?" she starts to reply then stops, shaking her head. With an embarrassed look at her friend, she wipes away the tears.
"I was stupid - that's what happened," she concludes simply. "I thought that if I ... It doesn't matter what I thought. You can't make someone ... "
Her eyes travel to the empty cage sitting on the table and the raven hopping around the bed.
"Mel? Could I ask a big favor?" she asks tentatively.
Without waiting for an answer, she shifts on the floor turning away from the young noble. With another movement she drops the blanket revealing the back of a tightly bound pale lavender corset. The laces in the back are knotted in a very unladylike fashion.
"I guess I wasn't paying attention when Zileska showed me how to tie this damn thing and I used the wrong knot. I could just cut it, but the bloody thing was so expensive, I can't bring myself to do that."
As she's being walked down the hall, Sara asks out loud "How do you know you're doing the right thing?"
Receiving no answer, she sits down where she is deposited, empty and depressed, dead inside. She slumps down, silently gazing at Malphene for help and reassurance.
The bell over the door tinkles softly as Zhi enters.
She notices that she's not alone in the tea shop this time. Akari is currently waiting on an older Taldorian woman in clean but simple clothes. The two converse in hushed tones for a moment more before Akari hands her a brown package in exchange for silver coins. The woman turns and eyeing Zhi suspiciously, hastily makes her way out the door.
"Ah, Zhi. Back again, already?" the elderly shopkeeper says cheerfully as she shuffles over to the young woman.
Her tone changes to concern when she gets closer. "Oh, my little one. Are you all right? You look horrible."
She shakes her head and guides the young girl to a stool.
"I told you to stay away from that dog, Boldo. I heard that the meeting went badly."
"No, the meeting didn't go well, but that's not ... " Zhi begins but then falters out.
"It's just been a rough morning. I have something else to ask about, though."
"Oh ask away, little Zhi. Akari is always willing to provide answers." She pats the coin purse at her waist. "As long as the price is right."
"In Minkai, in Kasai, do you know of someone known as Karasu?"
"The Raven? Oh child. This is not information, this is something everyone knows."
"I don't know it."
"Forgive me, us old folk sometimes forget that children do not learn everything that they should. And we forget that our experiences are not their experiences."
"So who is ... or was .. "
The elderly woman pours two cups of tea.
"The Raven was the greatest thief of Minkai. He stole princess Haegewa's jewels. He took General Han's sword. He touched the lives, or at least the valuables, of all the richest families of the city. There was a period of about five years that it was rare not to hear of him making a fool out of some high-powered man or woman."
"Did they catch him?"
Father couldn't have been the Raven, could he?
"Oh they tried. They laid traps and prepared ambushes, but he always seemed to be a step ahead of them. He did eventually leave the city though."
"Why? What happened?"
"The rumor was that he had deigned to take something so precious and valuable that he had no choice."
"What did he take?"
"No one knows. He escaped on a ship to Jyito. He's probably still there stealing kisses and jewels."
"Oh," Zhi replies simply, unable to keep the disappointment from her voice.
Father couldn't be the Raven. We traveled from Kasai directly to Oppara.
"You should visit there some day child. The central fountains of Jyito are something to behold."
Unbidden, a memory of her childhood comes to the forfront of her mind. Something she knew happened but had never remembered before. She was young and running carefree through the endless sprays of water coming from holes in the carved stone ground as Father chased her laughing.
"Are you okay, little Zhi? You look pale."
"Yes, I'm ok. Thank you, Akari-san," Zhi answer calmly. She reaches into her thighbag and places a gold coin on the small table.
"And thank you for the tea."
She rises from the stool and makes her way to the door.
But what did Father take? I remember that we left Kasai with nothing.
Malphene wraps her arms around Sara's shoulders. "I know that was hard, but it's for the best. You'll see."
At Melodie's touch, Zhi's sobbing abates.
"What did you ... ?" she starts to reply then stops, shaking her head. With an embarrassed look at her friend, she wipes away the tears.
"I was stupid - that's what happened," she concludes simply. "I thought that if I ... It doesn't matter what I thought. You can't make someone ... "
Her eyes travel to the empty cage sitting on the table and the raven hopping around the bed.
"You can't make someone love you?" Melodie asks, as everything she has been seeing, and suspecting is confirmed. "No, I don't think that's how love works. If even half the songs are true you either feel it... or you don't. But they say that the perfect woman is out there for all of us. Perhaps you just need to keep looking."
"Mel? Could I ask a big favor?" she asks tentatively.
Without waiting for an answer, she shifts on the floor turning away from the young noble. With another movement she drops the blanket revealing the back of a tightly bound pale lavender corset. The laces in the back are knotted in a very unladylike fashion.
"I guess I wasn't paying attention when Zileska showed me how to tie this damn thing and I used the wrong knot. I could just cut it, but the bloody thing was so expensive, I can't bring myself to do that."
"Of course." Melodie responds. As she clambers up from the floor and approaches Zhi from behind she can't help her eyes wandering down to the bottom of the corset and the firm curves of Zhi's arse. "This is quite a mess you've made." She says, trying to keep her voice steady as she brushes Zhi's hair out of the way so she can get at the top knot first. "There's only meant to be one knot really..." Melodie finds herself speaking somewhat at random, as she steals glances and soft touches while slowly, torturously unpicks the knot's Zhi has made. "Remind me to never let you tie me up." She mutters, pulling out her small dagger to tease a particularly difficult knot free. "I'd never be able to get out again." Thankfully Zhi can't see her blush...
She's beautiful. So smooth, such soft skin. How can she not see it? Melodie's hands hover over the last knot, tempted to draw the process out even longer. No, I can't! She's my friend, they're both my friends! I need to help them now, not be thinking about... this... whatever it is.
With Zhi extracted from her corset and Melodie desperately in need of air to prevent herself losing all composure she retreats down the hallway again and knocks on Sara's door.
"Can I come in?"
"Of course." Melodie responds. As she clambers up from the floor and approaches Zhi from behind she can't help her eyes wandering down to the bottom of the corset and the firm curves of Zhi's arse. "This is quite a mess you've made." She says, trying to keep her voice steady as she brushes Zhi's hair out of the way so she can get at the top knot first. "There's only meant to be one knot really..." Melodie finds herself speaking somewhat at random, as she steals glances and soft touches while slowly, torturously unpicks the knot's Zhi has made. "Remind me to never let you tie me up." She mutters, pulling out her small dagger to tease a particularly difficult knot free. "I'd never be able to get out again." Thankfully Zhi can't see her blush...
"I could show you how to get out of ropes. It's not really that difficult and it's a good skill to know. You should come by some time," Zhi responds matter-of-factly.
She's beautiful. So smooth, such soft skin. How can she not see it? Melodie's hands hover over the last knot, tempted to draw the process out even longer. No, I can't! She's my friend, they're both my friends! I need to help them now, not be thinking about... this... whatever it is.
Once the last knot is loosened the corset attempts to slide to the floor but is held by Zhi's hands. She takes the first really relaxing breath she's had since the night before and turns back to face Melodie. With one hand using the corset to protect her modesty, she places a hand on the other girl's shoulder.
"Thank you," she says sincerely.
Her eyes move around the room awkwardly.
"I'll bet that the magic you just used won't last forever, will it?"
Seeing the confirmation on Melodie's face, she continues.
"That means I'm probably not going to be very good company in a very short time and I think I'd rather be alone for that."
Zileska is nowhere to be found at the moment, but it seems likely that she is at the temple of Calistria. She still has duties, after all.
Malphene wraps her arms around Sara's shoulders. "I know that was hard, but it's for the best. You'll see."
Sara wraps her arms around the tall woman's waist, kissing her long and deep.
She giggles. "You're the first b~@+~ I've ever been with been my same height. I love being shorter than you sometimes. That's a new experience for me. You are in general."
With Zhi extracted from her corset and Melodie desperately in need of air to prevent herself losing all composure she retreats down the hallway again and knocks on Sara's door.
"Can I come in?"
"Give me a moment!" She kisses the girl again, biting Malphene's lip. She grins, kissing her neck and cupping her breast, running her free hand down her back, teasing her.
"I wish we could do this all day. But I have to get dressed."
She unties her robe and flashes her girlfriend, caressing and touching herself provocatively.
As the door opens, Melodie is greeted by a blushing Sara with futzed hair and running makeup. "Hi. Uh, keep me company while I fix all this? And then, uh, lunch?"
She seems surprisingly chipper given the events that have just transpired.
"It's not much past dawn." Melodie responds, her own humor re-emerging at Sara's good mood. "How about I keep you company and then we do breakfast? As long as there's coffee. I need a lot of coffee." Looking more closely Sara can see the bangs under Melodie's eyes, which are already a vivid dark purple beneath her pale skin, she's clearly not had much sleep.
"How about the place where Martella first told us to meet? With the fig jam? Their coffee was outstanding."
Sara brushes her hair as she recounts the events of the last night in detail. "I think I might have reacted a bit harshly, but it was a bit of a rude awakening I think. I almost made it worse, but the noble and honorable Dame Trant advised me against visiting."
As Melodie and Malphene offer comments, she begins her makeup. She puts out feed for the birds before saying, "Melodie, I know you're shy so I'm going to address it before it happens: I'm about to get dressed. I don't mind you being here and I don't give a s*$$ about who sees me naked, but I don't have a privacy screen here so if you need to avert your eyes, please do. Malphene, would you mind giving me a hand with my corset?"
Her back to Melodie, her robe falls to the floor, offering quite a view of her thick legs, strong back and ample backside.
As they leave for the cafe, Sara invites Malphene to accompany them, offering her a kiss on the cheek. "Look. Taller than you," she teases, showing off her heels.
Melodie turns her back, heat rising in her cheeks again. "Thanks for the warning." She calls over her shoulder, waiting for the all clear before turning around again and joining the lovebirds for coffee.
The walk to the cafe is brisk and simple. The girls don't talk much in the way of important things but it eases Sara's spirit to be with the people she cares about. Last night hit her harder than she is admitting.
Sitting outside, she orders a Cayden's Cup, sipping it as she relays her conversation with Zhi this morning.
"I feel awful about it. I really wasn't trying to make her feel worse, I'm sure all of us at this table have made a fool out of ourselves drunk.
"I once left a dead man's severed arms in an old lady's garden. Later someone told me that she thought she had buried dragon teeth and was growing soldiers."
"Ummm..." Melodie offers, both because she's never been drunk and talk about severed arms is not something for casual conversation. "I don't think I've ever done anything like that."
The full story of what happened the previous night has her wincing. "So that's why she was in the street and crying her eyes out. I was passing by chance and I thought it was really out of character for her..."
The pale woman stares into her coffee, shoulders hunched forward. "I don't know where to go from here. It's," a long pause, punctuated by Sara stirring two lumps of sugar into her coffee. "Excuse me."
She dabs the corner of her eye with a cloth napkin.
"Complicated." Melodie finishes. "I think you need to ask yourself what you want. Do you want to spend your time with one person, or do you want to be more of a butterfly and move from one person to another?" She pauses to let that sink in before continuing.
"Then you need to think about how the other person feels, whether they'd be happy with you having other lovers, or whether they'd want to be exclusive. I guess it depends if you feel like you've found a person you want to stick with." Melodie too ends up staring into her coffee "Or whether you've just got feelings for someone, can't explain them and have to watch while they chase after somebody else."
"I'm not the one with feelings for her. I mean I wouldn't mind going out and fooling around, but it's too late now. And no, Melodie, as Malphene and I discussed before all this, I am not a one woman woman. Not that I'm a butterfly, I'd like to think I commit more readily than that."
She finishes her coffee and pulls out three gold.
"I'll get breakfast, don't worry."
"Give me a moment!" She kisses the girl again, biting Malphene's lip. She grins, kissing her neck and cupping her breast, running her free hand down her back, teasing her."I wish we could do this all day. But I have to get dressed."
She unties her robe and flashes her girlfriend, caressing and touching herself provocatively.
Malphene gasps and moans as Sara teases her. "You'll make it up to me later. I insist."
She jiggles her own t!+% at Sara, pulling the sheet up just before Melodie comes in.
As they leave for the cafe, Sara invites Malphene to accompany them, offering her a kiss on the cheek. "Look. Taller than you," she teases, showing off her heels.
"For now. I'll cut you back down to size," Malphene says with a mock sneer.
The noblewoman's relatively quiet at breakfast, letting Sara and Melodie chat. Afterwards, she bids farewell, having to return to help her mother at their estate. But she promises to find Sara again soon.
---
After taking three days to rest, Martella comes to the Silent Horse to invite you to a private meeting. A short carriage ride brings the six of you to a tidy townhouse in the Aroden's View district. Standing atop the highest hill in the city, Aroden's View is a small district, but one with great cultural importance. It holds some of the oldest buildings in Taldor, some of which even survived the destruction wrought by the Tarrasque (or so their current owners claim). It is also one of the most beautiful sites in Oppara, with extravagant gardens filled with rare flowers and other flora, tree-lined avenues perfect for promenading in the latest fashions, and massive villas carefully arranged to take advantage of the breathtaking view the district provides its privileged residents.
Inside the townhouse, a cozy fire and the scent of tea warm a small library. A friendly catch-dog trots over to investigate your arrival, wagging his tail, and returns satisfied to his owner's side as she rises from the chair--Princess Eutropia. After a polite nod, she speaks.
"My name is Eutropia Stavian I, firstborn of Stavian III, and I thank you for coming. I wanted to express my gratitude in person for rescuing my old schoolmate, Martella. She is a dear friend, and I am in your debt.
"You are bold and resourceful, yet apparently relative unknowns on Taldor's political stage. Those are all incredibly valuable assets. Now more than ever I find myself in need of talented allies. My father—Pharasma rest his soul—seems to have been convinced my efforts at social reform were the precursor to usurping his throne. Some dear friends feared he would try to kill me at the exaltation; you may have noticed the Lion Blades on the scene in response. I had never imagined he could... That he had slipped so far."
Eutropia takes a moment to compose herself, then continues. "Apparently, in his paranoia, my father formally adopted Maxillar Pythareus in a private ceremony to declare the general his heir. Or so Pythareus claims, and he has presented documentation to support his claim. There are even those nobles who believe the vote against primogeniture could not possibly have taken place, or was coerced by those same elements that attacked the senate.
"The Ulfen Guard has sealed the palace and refuses admittance to anyone until the question is resolved. Normally this kind of issue would fall to the senate, but with the senate decimated and no emperor to approve new members... this situation is entirely unprecedented.
"I don't know if I'm the best candidate for the throne, but I know Pythareus isn't. He's a warmonger and a regressive traditionalist. He preaches about waging war on the 'upstart colonies' and bringing them back into the empire by force. I won't let him march us back into endless war, and I need allies of uncommon skill to ensure our nation's future. I would be honored to have such noble allies as yourselves in this War for the Crown."
Melodie begins to pet the dog, before realising exactly which dog it is and curtsying gracefully to the Princess. She finds herself nodding along to Eutropia's assessment of the situation and it is the work of only a moment's thought to make up her mind.
"Your Highness, it was our pleasure to rescue Martella - she has been a good friend to us as well and without her we would not have survived ourselves. You do not owe us anything for that - we would have done it for anyone."
She glances left and right before speaking again, looking for assent from the women flanking her. "I do not presume to speak for my friends, but I believe you. The High Strategos is not the man to lead the Empire in these new times, you are Princess. You have my loyalty, for what it is worth."
She sinks to one knee, the hours of etiquette lessons finally coming in useful for once. "Upon my life and my honour as a daughter of House Valois, I swear to serve the Princess Eutropia, rightful ruler of Taldor until she sits upon her father's throne, or releases me from her service. May the Gods Above bear witness to my vow."
When the carriage arrives for the meeting with Lady Lotheed, Zhi is waiting quietly.
She's wearing a green loose-fitting tunic over dark brown breeches and matching boots. Her hair is loose and strands fly this way and that in the breeze. She has no visible weapons.
During the short ride she avoids meeting anyone's gaze and contents herself with gazing out the window.
--
Zhi's expression turns nervous as Melodie genuflects and swears her oath. She swallows to choke back her instinct to follow suit.
"I would like to offer my allegiance, Your Highness, but I have a question first," she says hesitantly.
"If I may so bold to ask, what are your plans with the crown?"
She shakes her head and continues with more confidence.
"I'm sorry, that's not really a fair question. I'll be more specific. There are many of us that were born elsewhere but came here young. Many more that were born here but their parents came from some other place. And we've spent our whole lives being treated as outsiders."
Her voice fills with strength as she warms to her subject.
"I consider myself as much a loyal Taldorian as my friend Melodie here. Yet I'm treated in many ways as a second class citizen - lower than even a common peasant - simply because my eyes, skin, and hair are different. I know many Tian, Varisian, and Shoanti that feel the same way."
"So I ask you, Your Highness, what assurance can you offer that you would take steps to address that?"
She looks around as if surprised that she was the one speaking.
"Again, I apologize," she continues, her voice taking on a meeker quality. "That's also not fair because there really isn't any assurance you can give for something like that."
She bows as she was tought. She lowers herself to her knees and lowers her face to the floor.
"I will follow you, Your Highness."
"Taldan, not Taldorian, Zhi." Melodie whispers, too late.
Eutropia takes a sip of tea before responding to Zhi. "I hadn't thought I'd be inheriting the throne for a decade or more, and I find myself embarrassingly unprepared. For now, I suppose my goals are to hold a wounded nation together and begin repairing centuries of neglect. My focus has been very narrow until now; I'll need some time to decide all of my policies. But the plight of people of differing ethnicities in the nation has not escaped my notice. Rest assured that I will do what I can to change the way they are treated."
When Melodie and Zhi bow, the princess stands and draws her rapier. She taps both women on either shoulder. "Rise, Dame Valois, Dame Mai. I don't have official authority to knight you, but I value your loyalty and respect your aid immensely."
Eutropia looks to Maria, Sara, and Zileska.
"Taldan, not Taldorian, Zhi." Melodie whispers, too late.
Uncomfortably aware and wishing she was not quite so tall, Sara sits down, beckoning the dog to come.
Despite knowing the answer, she asks "What is your dog's name? He is a beautiful mix," she rolls the dog's jowls in her hands and whispers compliments at him. "Although I'm sure the court ladies insist that he's a purebred." Sara is clearly deflecting; for once the tall brash woman is acting shy and intimidated. None of the other girls have seen her quite so nervous.
This is everything she's ever wanted, all her life. To be asked to pledge her service to the throne of the greatest nation of the history of the world, risen to the ranks of nobility. Rags to riches, like a bad novel.
But what had it cost her? Under her so called leadership, her family was worse now than it was when her father was alive; back then they had had a home, even if it was a single room in the Narrows, but she insisted that the high life was important, that the 50 gold given to her by her benefactor would last and multiply as it paid for an apartment in Crownsgate, education for herself and her brothers and new clothes. And in desperation to preserve that, to uphold the family's new lifestyle, she made a deal with the devil. A deal that ultimately left her in jail and her family destitute.
She had heard no word of her mother or brothers since leaving prison. None of her childhood friends in the Narrows had seen head nor tail of them. Or worse, they were lying, and her family wanted nothing to do with her.
The nation's obsession with airs, appearance, breeding and nobility had poisoned her and ended her family. And here, before her friends and the rightful heir of the nation she loved, she realized this for the first time.
She takes a deep breath and stands.
"Princess," there is a long pause before she continues. "I love you. And I have always loved and admired you, just as I admire this great nation. Not in a romantic way and not, I am now realizing, in a genuine way, but, sort of out of nostalgia. I mean," she smiles, tears starting to form in her eyes, "I had your doll growing up. You know, the Princess Eutropia Miracle Doll?
"I grew up in the worst part of the city, teaching birds, cats and dogs to steal and fight just so I could find enough coin for my family to eat. But through it all, I never stopped believing in the Taldan dream. I thought, I push my nose far enough up the a&@$*+$ of the world, and eventually someone would pull me the rest of the way. But now that I'm here, all I'm seeing is s!&~."
The tears begin to flow freely, causing an occasional choke in her voice, and her mascara to run down and stain her face.
"Ever since Carrius died, I believed in you. You were this beacon of hope for me. I knew that you would be the one to wear the Primogen Crown. If you could defy the laws of Taldor to ascend, so could I and my family.
"And I still plan to fight for that to happen. But I've been living among the upper crust for six years now, or so I thought, and it wasn't until this week that I saw through the façade.
"Everybody up top is just as scared as the rest of us! Even you! Being rich or noble is no guarantee that you won't have to fight to survive, and I'm just realizing this.
"Right now I have more coin in my purse than ever before in my entire life, and I'm still training birds! I finally see through the b&%*!+!!. And it's all b%&++%~&."
She wipes her eyes and bows deeply.
"I will fight with my life to ensure that you are the inheritor, milady. But while it pains me deeply to say this, I cannot accept the title of knight or a rank in the nobility while there is still such a gap between my class and yours."