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morimakesfanart · 3 years

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Sindria's Prophet #13

[1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] [10] [11] [12]

[AO3]

((edited because I figured out to add some more history facts that I think are important))

~POV Sinbad~

"The Kou Empire, huh?"

"That is going to make things risky."

With all of the Generals caught up with what happened in Balbadd, they needed to start planning for King Sinbad's trip to the Kou Empire, as well as catching him up with everything that had happened in Sindria while he was gone.

"LadY YamuRAI H AA AA A" A yell came from the hallway accompanied by the sounds of running.

((Sinbad is hidden on the left. There's a hint of him poking out.))

A panting magician gave apologies for disturbing their meeting and ran to the head of Sindria's magicians. "I wish I knew you were here so I didn't search the tower first~" Then he started explaining about some magical proof. Most of his words sounded like gibberish to the rest, but it was clear that he had made some kind of break though.

Yam jumped out of her seat. "How did you finally figure it out?! Who figured it out?!" She whipped her head to her King, "Sorry your majesty," and then looked back to the other magician.

"It was the work of the Prophet!” the magician answered. "We were talking about her illness and she pulled out scrolls that- you just have to read them for yourself!”

Mori had said that she had written other scrolls before she started coping down Fate. This must have been what she was working on.

Both magicians bowed out to go test out this new information. Before they could leave, Sinbad ended the meeting; there was no way he was going to wait to learn what other information Mori had blessed them with. Ja'far followed as did a few of the other Generals.

When they got into the court yard, the doctors that had been sent to take care of Mori were already pushing their supply cart back to their main building. The magician that had stayed behind spotted them and raised two scrolls up triumphantly. "She let me take the scrolls!"

---

News of the scrolls written by a Prophet spread throughout the Black Libra Tower within an hour. Yamuraiha and the doctors explained their significance to King Sinbad.

If even a fraction of the theories in the scrolls proved true it would completely changed their understanding of how illnesses work. If Mori wasn't sick she would undoubtedly be swarmed with questions and demands for proof. According to the magicians, nothing in the scrolls went against any known information. Instead, they gave explanations to why certain things that had been attempted in the past had failed. What she wrote about 'cells' was what really caught the eyes of the white magicians and doctors. As an example, according to Mori's writing there were blood types and most couldn't mix; that would explain why most past attempts at blood transfusions had failed.

The 2nd scroll showed a break down of even smaller particles, and how the structures of different particles made up everything. This was going to bring alchemic magic to a whole new era. Sure, such things would most likely be limited to high magicians, group efforts, and the Magi, but it looked possible now. A lot of common magic of the current day took extreme amounts of magoi in the past because they hadn't found the right formula yet. Mori's writing -if true- could easily be used as a guide to finding the right order of commands for many spells.

And even more than that, Mori had said that she had even more information to share; she had just ran out of scrolls and ink.

Mori's presence in Sindria, and everything that went with it were Fate and the Rukh's guidance. King Sinbad could see it -the future he wanted.

---

~POV Mori~

In Sindria's Palace there is a Great Bell. It is rung during celebrations, and to signify the King returning home like it did earlier that day, but it's main use was to ring every 2 hours to tell everyone the time since clocks weren't invented yet. So even though I was a sick person trying to rest during the day, I was woken up by the Great Bell every 2 hours... which of course is also situated right on top of the guest tower.

For obvious reasons, I was awake again.

I wish I knew how the others responded to the scrolls. I really wanted to know Yam's opinion most. Those scrolls basically gave away the secret to Yunan's signature alchemy magic.

I still had the first scroll I had worked on -the one on the science behind blimps-, and the last science scroll I had started. That one was on DNA, and reproductive systems. It was the last one I started in Balbadd. I hadn't started working on it until sunrise on my 2nd sleepless night and it showed; there were missing words everywhere, many incomplete sentences, and I couldn't stay in topic.

These mistakes were too great to fix with an ink knife. Editing was going be super annoying and time consuming since I couldn't work digitally. I'd have to physically cut up the first draft to put everything in the right order before making the next one.

Wait- Did this world have scissors???

Back home the first evolution of shears that could be labeled as scissors was in Roman barber shops in the last hundred years or so before Rome fell. China would spontaneous also create something akin to scissors not long after. Reim and the Kou Empire seemed to line up with Rome and ancient China for the most part, so I tend to use them to place the time period, but the dress Princess Dunya wears is centuries off and throws all historical accuracy questions out the window. Rome was long gone by the time boning was added to women's undergarments, and that dress had all the signs of boned corsetry.

Fuck it. I'll ask for scissors and if they don't have them I'll just invent them myself. I had been drafting professionally for the past 4 years. That may have been for microelectronics, but it uses all the same skills; I could do this. I needed to get a ruler -or at least a straight edge- and a drafting compass which they probably have based on the look of maps in the series, and pencils, or at least colored inks if they had them. I probably needed to reinvent the French curve(stencil tool used in art & drafting)...

Since I was struggling to fall back asleep I moved to the table and pulled out my test scroll. It was full of random marks and some of my early drawing attempts that I used to practice with the dip pen -it's also where I wrote down the dreams from the Rukh. I'd write the list of things I needed, rip the section out of the scroll, and pass the list to someone who could get me what I was asking for. I added some living necessities too like sleep wear and a comb.

The maids that came to give me dinner, and next dose of medicine were not pleased that I wasn't in bed -I was an important guest who was sick after all. And I wasn't pleased to have to drink more of that bitter medicine, but we can't have nice things all the time, now can we?

My voices was strained but I managed to communicate enough. I gave them my list, and laundry (the clothes I wore on the boat) before they left. They'd get me the things the next day. I was instructed to sleep until someone brings me breakfast the next day... which is what I was going to do anyway since the sun was practically gone. I might be a bit of a workaholic but I'm not going to let myself pull an accidental all-nighter when I know I'm still sick. I'm far more self aware than that.

And besides, the Great Bell didn't ring at night.

---

Maids brought my breakfast (& meds) the next morning and let me know that my clothes would be cleaned and dry by the end of the day. I guess they didn't use magic for everything.

They also gave me all of the drafting and inking supplies I asked for except for scissors. In one of the omakes Sinbad was shown cutting his hair with a knife as a part of his normal grooming. I had hoped he was just old fashioned.

For the greater good and the future of my own hair care, I drafted up detailed designs for a few different types of basic scissors. They wouldn't look fancy, but hopefully I had put enough of a detailed explanation on everything for the smith to figure out what I was asking. Steel wasn't developed until the middle ages and some of the counties of this world matched that so I hoped

that God and anime were on my side. I really wanted scissors that would be a good quality.

And if that didn't work I'd just have to get used to using knives and bladed rollers like a regular person.

The Great Bell rung for 10 am. There were at least another 2 hours before someone would show up, to give lunch, that I could ask to take my draft for the scissors to a black Smith.

I should be resting as a sick person. I should be more exhausted and in pain as a sick person. What was making me recover this quickly?

I still didn't feel like laying back down, so I decided to start drafting up the materials and equipment for proving everything I had written in the scrolls I gave the previous day.

Globally, micro-organisms, viruses, and bacteria were not really accept or proved until the late 1800's. Since Magi seems to take place some time around our 100AD-1300, and Yunan hinting at chemical compounds was seen as shocking by Yam, I knew that my bio scrolls were probably causing an uproar in the Black Libra Tower. I refused to use actual people or wait for an outbreak to prove it like how it happened in history -like how John Snow proved it when finding the cause of cholera outbreaks in 1848 and 1854 England. No, I needed to show how to prove these things in a lab, and to do that I was going to need to explain how to keep samples and invent a way to see microorganisms.

First was for a glass petri dish and other containers for samples. I'd need at least 3 -preferably more. I know glass works have been around since BC, and that this world had glass windows in some scenes, but I worried about the quality of the glass contaminating the experiments. I was going to have to boil them beforehand to sterilize them anyway.

Gosh I wish I had access to nonporous, air tight containers, and a temperature controlled environment. The heat and humidity of Sindria could easily mess everything up.

Wait... I suddenly remembered a scene from the Magnostadt arc when they showed how a sample was being stored. They already had good enough glass. I knew there were magic bio experiments but I had no idea how they worked.

With the realization that I was getting ahead myself, I switched to writing about how to use the scientific method to test for germs. It was basically the bread in a bag test to teach young children about germs but with petri dishes. I also wrote about how to analyze samples with a microscope to see micro organisms so I was going to have to figure that out next.

Lunch came as the perfect break.

Just thinking about reinventing this thing made me nervous. I knew magnifying glasses existed in ancient Rome, but they would be nothing like what I was used to. I had to explain how light moves and made multiple diagrams showing how concave and convex lenses affect light as well as the material of the lens. I ended up also showing how to make a telescope even though I knew Yam already had one.

Magicians were the only ones shown with glasses. Maybe now the rest of the world could have them too.

4 o'clock came and so did 3 doctors and a magician. It was less than yesterday, but still more than necessary to treat or analyze one person. I only recognized one of the doctors from the previous day. All of the new faces looked nervous. None of them looked young by any measure, so I really doubted this was their first time treating someone.

They weren't happy to see me at the table and made me return to my bed -their loss.

The doctor from the previous day was the one doing most of the talking. "Your recovery is amazing. You will most likely be better in another 3 days at this rate if not sooner. It's practically a miracle."

I smiled. "It's pretty shocking for me too." As long as I spoke quietly and kept my comments short, I found I could talk again for a bit.

The doctor was silent for a moment before changing the subject. "I know you need rest, but would you be willing to answer a few questions about those scrolls from yesterday?

The 3 other men looked expectant. This was why they were here.

"I don't mind as long as you don't make me talk too much."

Then came the question I was expecting since I had first made the scrolls. "I know you are a Prophet and the information came from your visions but is there any way you can prove what you wrote?"

I pointed to the table with the scroll I had started earlier. "I can't prove it with the current equipment I have, so I've been drafting up the needed equipment and processes for proving it."

They all turned to look at where I was pointing.

I added, "It's not done, but you're welcome to read what I have so far."

I was thanked as they went to the table they had called me away from when they entered.

'He called it 'visions?' Really?' I had to ask Sinbad later what he was telling his people about me so I could keep the story straight.

The magician confirmed for the others what I wrote about light bending. There was magic to do that, but not everyone is a magician. I had just invented a way for non-magicians to bend light.

Just wait until I show them a prism that can split light into colors. Or teach them how light is perceived in the eye. Or even better, show them the double slit experiment that proves that light is a particle not just a wave... Did they know light was a wave yet?

"Lady Prophet."

I was pulled out of my thoughts.

"You said this isn't finished and there is plenty of space in this scroll for more, but would you let us take this back to the tower so we can get started?"

I wanted to say 'no.' I was still coming up with things to add to it, but I also knew that holding things back because I wanted to save paper was a fool's game. Besides, I could always add more to it later.

I nodded and they thanked me before making me promise not to leave my bed. They were grateful for this new scroll but not at the expense of my health -they were doctors after all.

And then they left.

It was probably about 5pm if my internal clock was on schedule, so I had about an hour before the next ring of the Bell.

Even if I wasn't a man of my word, I would have lost the motivation to work with my current project taken from me while I was still in the middle of making it.

So, I did the thing I grew up doing when I was bedridden from illness: I looked out the window. From the bed I could only see the tops of the buildings on the other side of the courtyard. The Tower that was just poking in from the left had to be the Black Libra Tower.

The waves in Sindria were calmer yet stronger than those in Balbadd. It was probably due to Sinbad's influence. He brought stability and security to his people. I could understand why so many chose to follow him or ally with him. But I knew where all this would lead. As he obtains more power and influence he will stop being able to see himself from the pedestal that he and everyone else put him on; his greed will make him blind to the wants and needs of others, and like a middle aged parent that isn't ready for their child to leave the nest he will take out his frustration on the world that was moving on without him. When Sinbad dies at the end of the manga, Drakon realizes that they all put too much on Sinbad's shoulders.

To change Fate, I was going to have to make sure I never put him on that pedestal nor rely on him for much. And I was going to have to convince the 8 Generals to do the same -or at least to start pulling more of the weight.

The 6 o'clock Bell came faster than I expected, as well as my dinner not long after. They brought my clean laundry, a sleeping gown, and some other common clothes and things for my convenience.

I would have preferred something much shorter for the night gown since I hate having a lot of extra fabric around my legs when I already have blankets. I was not going to risk being walked in on by doctors or whoever when sleeping naked, so I would make do for now.

There was no way King Sinbad wasn't going to reward me for those scrolls. If it was some kind of treasure I'd sell it and buy a new wardrobe for myself that actually suited me, and if the reward was a request then I would ask that he pay for everything directly.

The light coming in my windows changed, and I watched my 2nd sunset in Sindria.

When Sinbad found this island 10 years ago, he completely terraformed it. He didn't get rid of all of the vegetation that was here, but he did break down one of the sides to allow for easier access by boat. The side he carved out faced northish towards all of the other known countries, so no boat would have a reason to circle the island. It was a decision that would benefit the merchants and make it easier to defend.

It also meant that my windows faced west, so I could watch the Sun set every day. I couldn't help but see that as a blessing and a curse. Sure not getting the sunrise meant I'd need to put more effort into

waking up in the morning but that wasn't the part I was worried about.

See- The thing is... I have synesthesia (having 2 or more senses overlapping). I see sounds, letters, and numbers as colors and textures. I have it mild enough that I can normally block it out so it's not too distracting (thank God because music is a main stim), but sometimes I'll hear something and get overwhelmed by how it looks.

Each letter and number is a color. So every voice can make every color, but language, pitch, tone, and accent all affect the colors and textures I see from a person's voice like a filter. There have definitely been some people that I struggled to give my full attention to when I first met them because I was entranced by how their voice looked. The more I hear a person's voice the more I'm able to move its visuals to the background so I can focus -desensitizing myself to it.

Luckily, Sinbad's voice is normally not so distracting that I stop paying attention. Since it's like a merger of every voice actor I've heard play him (All the characters I had met so far were like this.) I'm already desensitized. The similarities across all of the VAs meant that his voice looked like a sunset -full of deep purples and magentas, and bright reds, peach, and gold, and with a smooth and flowing texture like painting in acrylic with a wet brush -like a painting of the last moments of a sunset.

His voice was as pretty as he was.

I hadn't actually gotten to see or hear him for a whole day. But I'd get to look at his voice's equivalent every day while living under his protection.

It was frustrating to admit -I barely knew him as a real person- yet I couldn't deny that I missed him. I feel asleep watching the sun set.

((I wasn't going to write about my synesthesia, but this is my fanfic and I thought it might be fun to reference the colors peoples voices make when the characters talk. I'm not going to paint every VA and head cannon, but I will describe them as I go. Ja'far's Japanese and English VAs have voices that look very different so finding the middle ground is proving tricky.

Also, anyone who noticed that the purple I see in Sinbad's voice is the same as the purple I've been using for the illustrations and comics is super smart and cool.))

#magi prophet fanfic #magi fanfiction #magi fanfic #sinbad magi #king sinbad #magi sinbad

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ramajmedia · 5 years

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Ben Schwartz’s 10 Best Roles (So Far), Ranked | ScreenRant

Most people know Ben Schwartz for his hilarious and layered performance as Jean-Ralphio Saperstein on Parks & Recreation. But he’s been doing comedy, especially improv, for years now. He currently voices Leo in Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and appears in Bojack Horseman as Rutabaga Rabitowitz. Right now, we’re all awaiting his first starring role in a big studio movie: Sonic the Hedgehog.

We won’t know enough to rate his performance as Sonic in Sonic the Hedgehog until the film is (finally) released a few months from now. Until then, here are Ben Schwartz’s top ten roles, so far.

RELATED: BoJack Horseman's 10 Saddest Moments, Ranked

10 BB8 — Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015)

Hardcore Star Wars fans might have looked this up by now, but for the rest of us who didn’t know, the initial work for BB8’s personality and conversations with the other characters was first acted out by Ben Schwartz. In initial run-throughs, he worked with actors like Daisy Ridley and John Boyega, responding to their lines in English, and then those lines were translated into the beeps and boops that make up BB8’s lines.

It took a lot of rounds of trying to get the sounds just right. Apparently, the initial try sounded too human. Schwartz has said he isn’t sure how much of his voice is in the movie and how much of BB8 was digitally created, but he will always be one of the people who helped create BB8’s persona.

9 Bill Hoyt — Undercovers (2010-2012)

This comedic take on undercover spies was created by J.J. Abrams and Josh Reims. It only lasted for 13 episodes, 2 of which didn’t even air until years after the first 11. It was canceled pretty quickly, before it was really given a chance to breathe, and Abrams has taken the blame for that, saying he was trying to do something light and frivolous when that’s simply not in his wheelhouse.

RELATED: Parks & Rec: 10 Episodes That Actually Tackled Deep Issues

Nevertheless, Schwartz is hilarious as the awkward computer nerd Bill Hoyt. Bill worships the leading male spy, Steven Bloom, and is so into the whole spy gimmick that he insists on using all the “lingo.” If you’ve ever wanted a comedic James Bond, this is the right show.

8 Milk Man - Jake & Amir (2009-2014)

There are several episodes of CollegeHumor’s web comedy show Jake & Amir that Ben Schwartz has guest-starred in over the years. His role as Milk Man (and doctor) in 2012 is probably his most iconic episode though. He comes in as a milkman who pours rotten milk all over Amir then helps him deliver a shoe. Schwartz does a lot of improv comedy and it really shines through in his Jake & Amir appearances.

Because Ben Schwartz kept making up his own hilarious character names in Jake & Amir, Redditors have actually created a Ben Schwartz Name Generator inspired by the insane combinations of phonemes he’d put together.

7 Josh Bath — The Earliest Show (2016)

In this miniseries, Ben Schwartz stars with Lauren Lapkus as two co-hosts of an early morning TV show. Guest stars on the show include comedians like Jake Johnson, Eugene Cordero, Reggie Watts, and Thomas Middleditch.

Josh Bath gets dumped live on air, and he and Samantha Newman (Lapkus) have to struggle through the rest of the show as he deals with the seven stages of grief. They hilariously harass, comfort, and are comforted by the guests that take a risk on this weird morning talk show. Schwartz is hilarious and heartfelt. He won an Emmy for Outstanding Actor in a Short Form Comedy or Drama Series.

6 Rutabaga Rabitowitz — Bojack Horseman (2015-2017)

This fluffy bunny is not at all that he seems. Schwartz plays Rabitowitz, a scheming, sarcastic, and relentlessly cheerful agent on Bojack Horseman. The character has a romantic relationship with another agent, Princess Carolyn, who he then hurts by not divorcing his wife. He also has a tendency to steal roles for Princess Carolyn’s clients right out from under her nose, something which drives her crazy.

RELATED: The 10 Best Guest Stars from Bojack Horseman, Ranked

For people used to the high-pitched sing-song voice he’s done for other roles, Schwartz’s voice is almost unrecognizable here. But he brings so much life to this character that we’re glad the part didn’t go to someone else.

5 Clyde Oberholt — House of Lies (2012-2016)

Don Cheadle and Kristen Bell also star in this comedic take on a group of management consultants who get the job done, no matter the cost. Schwartz plays a consultant who specializes in marketing and spin. He is often cruel, jealous, and beyond arrogant. One of the only emotions he ever shows is anger, but he’s always down for a good time. He can read people like a book and uses their weaknesses against them.

Schwartz’s normally silly brand of comedy works surprisingly well with a darker spin. His presence pulls the show toward a helplessly darker while the rest of the characters largely pull him back from the dark side.

4 Leo — Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2018—)

The new remake of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles was greeted with skepticism, but has been steadily getting better and better reviews as the shows continues. The show’s brighter colors accompany a lighter adaptation, something a bit more fun and humorous than previous versions.

Leonardo is normally the taskmaster of the turtles, but in this new take on the characters, Leo actually gets to have fun as a teenager. He still retains his leadership and analytical qualities, but he isn’t annoying or domineering. It’s that fun-loving spirit that Schwartz brings to the voice. He gives Leo the brevity he needs to be a fun teen once again.

3 Dewey Duck — DuckTales (2017-2019)

In this adaptation of DuckTales David Tennant stars as Scrooge McDuck and Ben Schwartz plays his grandnephew Dewey, the adventurous and funny triplet. He’s a classic middle child, always trying to stand out from the crowd, including starting his own internet talk show. As always, Schwartz brings depth to the role. We see hints of Dewey’s deep-seated fear that he’s just an ordinary duck. He is constantly trying to prove himself by throwing himself into dangerous situations.

RELATED: David Tennant's 10 Best Roles, Ranked

This role and Schwartz’s role as Leo (see previous) only rank as 3 and 4 on our list because so much of the hilarity of Ben Schwartz is the physicality he brings to his comedy. While these roles are great—and he deserves every leading role—the next to let us see the full spectrum of Schwartz’s comedic talents.

2 Rabbi Charles “Boner” Grodner — This is Where I Leave You (2014)

This movie is a powerhouse of comedic talent. Ben Schwartz plays Rabbi Charles Grodner, who was friends with Adam Driver’s character in high school and earned the nickname Boner, for obvious reasons. After the four Altman siblings moved away to start their lives, he stayed behind and became a rabbi. When he handles their father’s funeral, they struggle to take him seriously and he falls back to his old high school insecurities as he tries to earn their respect.

Even though he’s a side character, Schwartz does so much with the time he’s given. He has heart and brings so much warmth to a role that would have come off as pathetic in the wrong hands.

1 Jean-Ralphio Saperstein — Parks & Recreation (2010-2015)

This is the role Ben Schwartz is most recognized for, and deservedly so. Every time Jean-Ralphio appears on screen as Tom’s ridiculous, grossly sexual, and trouble-plagued friend the comedy soars to new heights. He is outlandish and ridiculous, but also has so much heart. Jean-Ralphio always thinks he’s killing it and never seems to realize that he is his own worst enemy. He’s basically a puppy, and no matter what terrible thing he does, it’s impossible to be mad at him. He’s maybe not the best friend anyone wants to have, but everyone needs a Jean-Ralphio in their corner to cheer for them and encourage them to let loose sometimes.

Schwartz appears in 21 episodes of the show and each one is a brilliant performance. In anyone’s hands, the character would be frustrating, but Schwartz makes him a memorable and amazing character.

NEXT: 10 Amy Poehler Quotes That Are Too Funny For Words

source https://screenrant.com/ben-schwartz-best-roles-ranked/

#screenrant

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itsdanystormborn · 7 years

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Hey Dany i saw you made a headcanon for a SinSeren daughter! Can you try make one for SinKou and HakuMor? My eternal OTPS? How would they little girls be? On HakuMor, i cant stop picturing a Sheba with light blue eyes! 😄

Hey (◍•ᴗ•◍)❤

Yes! of course i can try, i’m sorry if it’s not good D: i’m too much into SinSeren so i think way too much about AU about them xD

SinKou

She would have Kougyoku’s eye shape with Sinbad’s golden color, and her hair would be Kougyoku’s shade.

Her eyebrows would be fuller than Kougyoku’s but not as full as Sinbad’s.

Al thought her face shape is a lot like her mother’s ( She has a small nose, really long and thick eyelashes, her face is porcelain white) her facial expressions would remember everyone of Sinbad ( the smile, the way she looks at people with a flirty -but innocent- look)

As a child her hair is long just above her chest and she used to wear it in two half buns, and as a teen- adult her hair is much longer and when she’s relaxed in Sindria she wears it loose or in fancy braids. When she’s in Kou she might wear something like these in casual days and maybe something like number 5 or these pics for a fancier look. she likes to change her hair a lot, and loves hair accesories.)

As she grew up in an enviroment where she’s the first and only princess, she’s not shy a shy person, and has s strong sense of self steem, and while she’s proud of herself, she’s not an arrogant person, though she’s a great policitan when it’s needed.

She is a warrior princess but enjoys dresses, pretty hairdos and make up just like her mother, and Sinbad makes sure she always has the best of the best, she’s his spoiled princess.

She has an adventurer side too, and likes to meet people, but at the same time, she likes to have a small group of friends she can trust with her life, and that is sure they love her as much as she loves them, kind of like Kougyoku.

Mom and dad have thought her a lot about politics, economics, trading, and more since she was small, so she’s a very well educated and intelligent girl.

She enjoys the ocean a lot, Sinbad used to sneak out with her and take her fishing and sailing shen she was little, and since Kougyoku had an afinity to water due to vinea, she also liked to go and play in the sea with her baby.

HakuMor

She would have Mor’s fiery red hair and Hakuryuus baby blue eyes, everyone compliments her eyes!

Her eye shape would be Hakuryuu’s while her face shape and lashes would be just like Morgiana’s ( those cute Fanalis eyelashes!^^)

She’s small and very slim like mom, but can carry dad around as if he was a feather, Hakuryuu is always worried because she doesn’t think his princess should be doing that at a small age “ you could get hurt!” he says but Morgiana only smiles ( because she knows is not a problem for a Fanalis) and watches as her little princess plays around with papa.

Hakuryuu is very protective of her, and really jealous of her when she grews up and starts to get the boys attention ( he makes the same face she use to make when Hakuei spoke to Kouen)

She’s as kind as Morgiana, and even is she’s a princess, is a very selfless girl who cares a lot about her friends and Family. she grew up with tons of love from mama and papa and looks up to them a lot.

Her dresses are made of fine fabric but are simple and elegant, she likes to wear dresses like the ones Morgiana used to wear when she was younger because they allow mobility and look cute at the same time. she loves to wear pink, and golden colors.

When she’s young, he hair is over her shoulders and in a hairdo similar to this one and when she’s older, her hair is long as Mor’s was before the last arc and she wears it like this but with bangs as she has always had.

She grew up as a Kou princess, but she’s still a proud fanalis! she would train in Reim with the Fanalis corps and while she’s there she would be under the care of uncle Masrur. Also, Mor took her to train with the Fanalis that live in the dark continent, so she can master her training with them like she did, and become friends with everyone! she wants to be as strong as her parents so she trains very hard even if she doesn’t really need to, as she was born strong.

She’s really kind, but she’s also brutally honest, so she will tell her friends when and why she doens’t agree with them, but she will help them at any time, and will protec them with her life.

As she’s a princess of the Kou empire, she’s really well educated, she loves history and it’s really good at understanding economics.

She loves to spend free days cooking with Hakuryuu or playing ( like training but not seriously xD) with Morgiana!

I hope this isn’t too bad xD

#danystreplies #SinKou #HakuMor #Magi

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carrotcouple · 7 years

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Where Home is (AO3|ff.net|Wattpad)

Ren Kougyoku is the Eighth Imperial Princess and the second female Djiin user in Kou. She is engaged to Aladdin, one of the most important members of the Peace Alliance. She understands her duties and understands his. She won’t complain, she’ll just wait for those days he can come back to her.

Things were relatively peaceful.

So much had happened in so little time. It seemed like Alibaba had just come back from the dead, but she was wrong. It had been almost three years. And yet, things were relatively peaceful. Peace treaties had been passed around all over the world and the man standing in the middle, who was responsible for all of the peace, was Alibaba; and standing next to him, his wife Morgiana. And standing in Alibaba’s shadow as a constant source of strength to everyone was Kougyoku’s fiancé, Aladdin. The world revolved around Aladdin and Alibaba; therefore, they were almost never in one place.

Kougyoku’s place was in Kou, amongst the people she had once led. Kouen held the emperor’s seat once again. Kougyoku and her siblings who held djinns served under him as appointed kings and queens over different areas of the world. Koumei, however, frequently left his post to come experiment, which was what he felt he truly excelled at. Kougyoku had her own post but often travelled as ambassador and took care of foreign paperwork, mostly because she was engaged to Aladdin. Even though they were engaged, they almost never had an opportunity to see each other.

But Kougyoku understood. She had things she needed to do and he had things he needed to do. They had talked at length about it the evening he’d asked her to marry him. So they’d decided to carry on with their lives and wait for the time when they could be together again, short though that time might be. It was all they were going to get and they cherished it more than anything else. Kougyoku forced herself to be satisfied with it. She was older than Aladdin and it would be unbecoming of her if she acted like a spoiled brat around him.

Even so, it had been almost a year since she had last seen him face-to-face. They were engaged and yet they were so busy that they’d had no time to even get married. It was strange how Kougyoku seemed so composed on the outside but inside she was screaming like a little girl. She knew what sorts of things the servants were gossiping about. They wondered if Kougyoku truly was in love with Aladdin or if she had pretended to be just to rise up in rank. Kougyoku had no doubt the person who started the rumour was one of her many half-sisters without a djinn. They did not try to hide their contempt for her. They were furious over how she could become one of the leading generals and head ambassador when her mother had been some nobody. But Kougyoku ignored them, the same way Hakuei and Kouha did.

“Lady Kougyoku.” A servant bowed to her. Kougyoku turned and her attendants and Ka Koubun moved out of the way.

“Yes?” Kougyoku asked, her skirts swirling around her. The servant looked like a messenger.

“The lords of the east were wondering when Lord Aladdin will be back. Do you know if Lord Aladdin will be back for the Fort Festival?” the servant asked. Kougyoku allowed herself to smile politely as she often did these days. She was determined that at least Aladdin wouldn’t be badmouthed for choosing her as a wife.

“No, I’m afraid he has quite a few more places to be. But I will let him know of the lords’ thoughts.” Kougyoku nodded at the messenger, turned, and went on her way. “Ka Koubun, what are the next few meetings I have on my schedule?” she asked.

“A meeting with the Emperor about the transportation circle laws, and I believe we cleared out the rest of your schedule so you could go have dinner with the Qishan overlord.”

“Ah, yes, I forgot, that place has special meaning to Aladdin and Alibaba-chan. I have to be as amicable as possible. Will I be travelling by carpet or transportation circle?” Kougyoku played with a lock of her hair.

“Carpet, I believe. His Highness, the Emperor, says that if you travel by carpet, you will receive a proper welcome party; moreover, you will be seen as a proper princess, previous Empress and ambassador if you have a large group with you.”

Kougyoku frowned. If they brought her childish self from seven years ago, she would have done just that.

“I’ll take the transportation circle, thank you, and I think I’ll go with just Vinea.”

“My lady, that is-” her attendants started to protest.

“Is there a problem?” Kougyoku asked with a glare. “The whole point of this dinner is to show that we, Kou, are no longer the puffed-up idiots we used to be. I must show that I am a different person and that I am strong enough to go there by myself. I will not let them look down on me.Additionally, I will appear less pompous if I don’t have an entourage behind me. Also, it’s one of Aladdin’s favourite places. As his fiancée, I need to carry myself in the right way. , Qishan is under Kouha is the ambassador to Qishan. They wouldn’t dare to lay a hand on me, not that they ever would. Anyway, Kouha is already there. He’s all that I will need; I will be just fine.”

“Yes, my lady.” Ka Koubun bowed to her although he didn’t seem happy with her decision. Kougyoku smiled at her oldest friend and companion.

“I will be sure to take care of myself, Ka Koubun. While I’m gone, how about you attend to His Highness, the Emperor?” Kougyoku asked with a knowing glance. Instantly, all the gloom was gone from his face. “Now then, I believe I have a meeting to do with transportation circle laws?” Kougyoku started walking to Kouen’s study to speak to him about the subject.

Kougyoku was dressed well when she arrived in Qishan via the transportation circles but she had covered her head to avoid attracting attention from the travel check. She took off the veil once she entered the market area of the city. She walked through, enjoying the different smells of fresh produce, cooking food, and raw meat and fish. Shopkeepers called out to her, attempting to entice her into buying something. She spotted caravans and smiled. Aladdin had told her the same story Alibaba had told her countless times. The story of how he and Alibaba had met. Kougyoku had heard the story from Alibaba, but Aladdin had narrated it to her with such excitement she hadn’t had the heart to tell him she already knew every detail, aside from the fact that it was now from her beloved’s point of view.

Kougyoku’s heart clenched as she recalled Aladdin holding her hand, dragging her down the Kou market streets, and talking to her animatedly. She missed hearing the way his voice would resonate in her ears, the way his laughter made her heart rate pick up, the way his eyes would crinkle when she told him something funny, the way he would look into her eyes seriously when he would say things he would only say to her, the way he would blush when Kougyoku would say something to embarrass him and the way he would hold her as they talked long into the night about the most mundane things.

Kougyoku shut her eyes, and wished to see his face when she opened them.

“Kougyoku!”

Kougyoku’s eyes snapped open, her heart leaping in her throat. Her brain caught up to her the next second. It was impossible, Aladdin was halfway across the world and that hadn’t been his voice. It had been the voice of her brother, Kouha. With the skill she had honed for months, Kougyoku brushed away all feelings of loneliness and only thought about how she had her own duty. She had agreed to this. She smiled at her brother, who grinned widely at her with his sword slung across his slim shoulders.

“Kouha, your hair grew out more. It looks very nice!” Kougyoku admired her brother’s intricately braided hair. It was definitely much longer than it looked.

“Thank you! It’s braided with a mix of Reim style and traditional Qishan style. What brings you here, sister?” Kouha asked, shrugging a large mass of his hair off his shoulder.

“Did you forget? I told you earlier this week that I had a dinner with the Qishan overlord.” Kougyoku cocked her head to the side, her long ponytail brushing the ground.

“Oh, that’s right. I forgot about that. Didn’t that guy come with you? What was his name? Ka Koukum?” Kouha placed himself next to her and they continued to walk through the market.

“Ka Koubun,” Kougyoku corrected him, pausing to look at a bunch of flowers that a little girl had shoved into her face. “I told him I wanted to come alone. I thought having a train of people behind me wouldn’t be the greatest idea for this place.”

“Ah,” Kouha nodded in understanding. “This is where Aladdin and Alibaba met, if I remember correctly? Aladdin left no details out of his first adventure with Alibaba and Morgiana.”

“You got that right. So how are things? Anything new?” Kougyoku bought two apples and passed one to Kouha.

“Nah, same old here. How about you?” Kouha bit into his apple.

“Nothing new, aside from the fact that I had a very frustrating argument with Kouen Nii-sama about the number of people at the transportation circle checks.” Kougyoku frowned. “He just won’t put the number of men at the checks down.”

“Well, knowing Kouen Nii, he must have something in mind, but don’t give up just like that. If you believe something should happen, fight for it. We’re no longer the little kids who will hide behind our big brother’s robes. We’re a part of the designated kings and queens. We’re his equals.” Kouha turned to her. “By the way, where are Aladdin, Alibaba, and Morgiana? I haven’t talked to them in a month.”

“They’re in Heliohapt. They’ll head to the Fanalis peace meeting next,” Kougyoku said, feeling a sense of pride in her.

“Busy, aren’t they?”

“They enjoy it far too much. They call it their adventures.” Kougyoku laughed. “Aladdin likes travelling and meeting people so much you would think he would rather do that than learn new magic.”

“Are you jealous?” Kouha’s voice was quiet and serious. It gave Kougyoku a bad feeling in the pit of her stomach, but she ignored the internal warning bells.

“Jealous of who?” she asked.

“Morgiana, of course.” Kouha said it like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

“Why would I be jealous of dear Morgiana of all people?” Kougyoku was confused.

“Because she’s always with Alibaba.”

“My dear brother, of course she’s always with Alibaba-chan! They’re married!” Kougyoku said, in surprised and amused outrage.

“And what about you and Aladdin? The two of you are engaged.”

Kougyoku stopped walking and looked down at the hem of her robes, clenching the fabric in her fists. She slowly loosened them and looked up, a smile on her face, a smile on her face that didn't reach her eyes. Kouha came to a halt and turned to look back at her.

“I’m fine, Kouha. I’m really fine. When I agreed to marry Aladdin we both knew what it would be like. It can’t be helped, you know. He’s one of the most important figures in the Alliance and I’m one of the designated queens. We’ll take what we can get because that is all we’re going to get.” Kougyoku shrugged in a lighthearted way. Kouha let out a long-suffering sigh.

“If you say so. Let’s just find a good gift to get for the Qishan overlord.” Kouha walked over to her, took her hand, and tugged her along with him.

-o-

Kougyoku put down her glass of wine as Kouha discreetly dumped his olives onto her plate. She rolled her eyes at him. The Qishan overlord was a rather heavy man with a wonderful personality. It was his son that annoyed Kougyoku. The boy kept glancing suspiciously at her and Kouha with half-lidded eyes from the moment she had greeted him.

“It really seems like it was only yesterday that Lord Alibaba, Lord Aladdin, and Lady Morgiana caused a huge commotion in the market square!” The large and boisterous man boomed with laughter. “All of us used to laugh at Lord Alibaba’s ambitions, but who would have known he would become such an amazing person!” The man’s son glanced at her and Kouha again and Kougyoku not-so-subtly glared back. “It shows you can’t judge a person by their appearance!”

The man took a long gulp of wine. “Ah yes, Princess Kougyoku, I hear you’re engaged to Lord Aladdin?”

Kougyoku nodded. “Yes, I am. We’ll be sure to invite you and your family to the marriage.”

She spread a fake smile across her face, thinking she could do without the man’s son coming.

“Is it true Lord Aladdin is the most powerful person in the world? I heard his enemies can’t even touch him.” The man’s son spoke up; Kougyoku refrained from shooting him a dirty look.

“Hind, that’s very rude!” the Qishan overlord hissed. He turned to give her a rather apologetic look. “I must admit, though, I am very curious as well. Perhaps Prince Kouha would know well of Lord Aladdin’s prowess?” Kouha let out a very inappropriate and sharp peal of laughter.

“Trust me, my sister Kougyoku has seen him fight with her own two eyes on countless occasions. I have only seen him from afar.” Kouha then rather rudely turned back to his food.

“It is true, Aladdin is the most formidable magic user of all time. I believe he surpasses even Ugo, the person who created this world; and his father, Solomon, who defeated the former god of the last world.” She couldn't keep herself from singing Aladdin's praises. “He’s also a very strong person even without his magic. All in all, he’s not someone to be taken lightly. But physically, no one can truly surpass Alibaba-chan and the Fanalis Morgiana.”

The Qishan overlord nodded thoughtfully. “You would never think he was the little boy stealing watermelons from the caravans.”

“Well he didn’t really understand the concept back then,” Kouha said, dumping more olives in a very obvious manner onto Kougyoku’s plate. She ignored him. Her brother wasn’t exactly known for being courteous.

The discussion on Alibaba and Aladdin turned to light conversation on trading and tourism. Kouha walked Kougyoku to her room after dinner.

“Do you usually communicate with them at the end of the day?” Kouha asked her.

“Um, well, I mostly just talk to Aladdin, sometimes I talk to Alibaba-chan and Morgiana-chan.”

“If you happen to talk to Alibaba and Morgiana, just tap on the wall so I can come over and talk too.” Kougyoku nodded and shut the door. She felt exhausted. She hadn’t done anything strenuous that day, but just talking to people had tired her out. It was becoming a common feeling for her now at the end of the day.

Kougyoku changed into the robes she slept in and sat on the bed, combing her fingers through her hair. It wasn’t even ten minutes later she felt the nudge in her mind. It was Aladdin’s direct communication spell.

“Kougyoku!” Kougyoku closed her eyes, immersing herself in the feeling of hearing Aladdin’s voice again. She smiled.

“Aladdin! How was your day? Did you wrap up the armament treaty?” she asked, sounding as happy as possible.

“I did! We had a little bit of difficulty with the fact that some people from other countries were against them having snakes in general but it’s a thing, if you know what I mean.” Aladdin had always been close friends with Sphintus, so he knew how important it was for the people of Heliohapt to have snakes with them.

“I do. Did you have fun with Sharrkan Ojii-san?” Kougyoku asked.

“Yup! But he tried to take us all drinking at a ladies’ house. Mor-san was completely against the idea and she put her foot down. And I mean, she actually put her foot down and scared Alibaba so he went to his room with her. Then I was the target but I escaped by saying I had to talk to you. I think I saw Yam-san whacking him on the head when I walked out.” Aladdin chuckled.

“Oh? You of all people rejected the offer?” Kougyoku asked with a smile. It made her heart warm when he talked about rejecting other women when he used to do that all the time before he told her he liked her.

“Ah, but the only lady I want to spend my evenings with and do naughty things with is in Qishan.” Aladdin sighed dramatically. Kougyoku’s ears flushed. “Should I just keep her next to me all the time?” It took some time for Kougyoku to find her voice.

“Maybe that lady wouldn’t mind staying by your side all the time. But she’s an expensive lady.” Kougyoku said. She missed flirting with Aladdin face-to-face and disgusting all of her siblings.

“So if I take good care of all of her expenses, would she let me do naughty things with her?” Aladdin’s voice was still teasing but it had lowered in pitch. Kougyoku grinned, her heart swelling with love. She fell back onto the bed.

“It all depends on if you can woo her, my dear Aladdin.” Kougyoku said softly.

There was a stifling silence.

“My queen, my empress Kougyoku I love you and miss you so, so, so much,” Aladdin whispered. Kougyoku’s heart throbbed and she lifted her hand up to her mouth to stifle a sob. She missed him. She missed him so much. It had really been almost a year since she had last seen him.

“I miss you too, Aladdin. More than you know. When are you coming back to Kou?” Kougyoku asked, trying to not let tears and her anxiety spill out.

More silence.

“I don’t know….” Aladdin sounded truly regretful. Kougyoku died a little inside.

“It can’t be helped. You have things you must do and I have things I must do.” Kougyoku erased the longing in her voice. The moment they were having vanished and they were now walking on eggshells around each other.

“You’re right. Is there anything you would like from Heliohapt?” Aladdin asked. Kougyoku tugged on her hair.

“Maybe you can get me a snake.” She chuckled, hoping to lighten the atmosphere. “I think I’d just want something to eat, but that wouldn’t last very long. I’m tired after glaring at Hind, the Overlord’s son. Let’s talk tomorrow, okay?”

“Sure. Good night, Kougyoku.” Aladdin’s voice was warm. Kougyoku smiled.

“Good night, Aladdin…,” Kougyoku whispered. The spell was severed and Kougyoku lay there in silence, refusing to let the tears spill from her eyes until she fell asleep.

-o-

A hand was gently stroking her hair. Kougyoku cracked open one eye, wondering if Hakuei had come back from wherever she had been. She was greeted with blue hair that glowed in the moonlight coming from the window. Aladdin smiled down at her.

“…Aladdin?” Kougyoku pulled herself up, rubbing at her eyes.

“Hey, Kougyoku.” He brushed a strand of her hair away from her face. She touched his hand.

Click. She heard a noise but ignored it.

“What are you doing here?” she asked. Although she was half asleep, she felt a thrill creeping into her blood. Aladdin was with her.

“I…I just really wanted to see you…so I teleported here as fast as possible.” Aladdin took her hand and squeezed it tightly. Kougyoku was hit with a sickening sense of loneliness.

Click.

“Aladdin, please don’t leave me ever again. Please,” she whispered, with tears in her eyes. Aladdin gazed at her.

“I won’t. I’m right here, aren’t I?” He leaned forward and pressed a kissed to her forehead. “I’m not going anywhere.” She let herself be engulfed in his arms.

Click.

Kougyoku started awake, a strangled gasp leaving her mouth. Her robes and hair were drenched in sweat. She desperately wanted a bath so that she might drown herself in it. She couldn’t believe she was now begging Aladdin not to leave her even in her dreams.

Click.

Kougyoku’s eyes narrowed and she sat up, reaching for her hairpin, clutching Vinea to her chest. That was the sound of the lock being picked. She quickly snuck behind the door, extending the hairpin into Vinea’s sword.

Click.

The door slowly creaked open and a figure walked in. Kougyoku wasted no time in moving forward and putting the sword against the man’s neck. He tensed and froze. She walked in front of the intruder and looked at his face, frowning.

“Would you care to tell me why you broke into my room, Hind?” Kougyoku hissed, no longer trying to be polite.

“Hmph, even though I know better than to trust the common talk it turns out I underestimated you and you are smarter than you look,” Hind said snidely.

“I asked you a question!” Kougyoku snapped, pressing the sword harder against his neck.

“I thought you were dumb and weak enough for me to be able to take advantage of you, obviously.” Hind rolled his eyes.

“Oh? That has to be the stupidest thing I have heard from your mouth, you uncouth brat,” Kouha’s ice-cold voice said as he stepped out of the shadows of the door, his sword across his shoulders. “What do you expect from the former empress of Kou? She participated in the attack at Magnostadt and in the Kou Civil War. She raised the shadow of Kou to its former glory three years ago. Don’t underestimate her.” Kouha’s sword was an inch away from Hind’s neck the next moment. “You’re lucky her fiancé isn’t here; you wouldn’t even remember your own name if he had his way with you. We’ll let you go with just this threat for now. Know that Kou is not beneath forcing you into exile for attempted assault.” Kougyoku and Kouha sheathed in unison. Hind looked like he was going to explode as he marched away.

“Thank you, Kouha.” Kougyoku smiled, pushing her sweat-covered hair away from her face with one hand as Vinea’s sword shrank into her hairpin again.

“It’s nothing, he tried to break into your room. Aladdin would be very upset if I just let it go like that. I had to teach him a lesson.” Kouha patted her shoulder. “Get some more rest before I see you off to the transportation circles.”

-o-

Once Kougyoku was back in Kou she started up the argument she was having with Kouen all over again. She stood her ground in front of her much larger and definitely smarter brother. Whenever he stumped her with a logical argument, she'd go to the library, study, and return to debate with him some more.

“Kougyoku.” Kouen interrupted one of her rants one day.

Kougyoku frowned at him. Was he going to start off with his own argument without letting her finish her own?

“I need someone in Reim for a week. We’re starting up a new trading agreement there and I want someone well versed in trading and good at stating valid arguments there. In other words, I want you to go.” Kougyoku didn’t know whether to blush from the indirect compliment or get angry at him for effectively cutting off her rant of the day.

“When would I be leaving, Nii-sama?” Kougyoku asked, lifting her arms and tucking her hands into her sleeves.

“Tomorrow. Have the servants pack for you. I guess you’ll be going just by yourself again?” Kouen asked her. If she didn’t know him better she’d say he looked amused.

“That’s right. I’m a grown woman now. I don’t need to hide behind your robes anymore – I’m quoting Kouha by the way. I am also a djinn user. I think I can take care of myself and…” Kougyoku paused and decided to voice what she had been thinking about for a while since her conversation with Aladdin at Qishan. “I would like to start working independently. I would like to still act as an ambassador for Kou, but I think I want to work more as a travelling mouthpiece instead of a desk worker.” Kougyoku stood up tall. “With your leave of course, Kouen Nii-sama.”

This time Kouen smirked.

“I still have much more work for you, Princess Kougyoku. You’re the highest-ranked person who is an expert at trading. But starting next year, I will give you your first travelling assignment and perhaps align it with Aladdin’s travels.” Kouen was definitely amused.

Kougyoku flushed, bowing and leaving.

“Thank you, Kouen Nii-sama. I will return to my quarters and prepare for my trip to Reim. May I know what the trading discussions will be about?” she asked.

“I’ll have a servant take the related documents to your quarters.”

She nodded and left. Her attendants and Ka Koubun followed her as soon as she exited the study.

“How were things today, my lady?” Ka Koubun asked her.

“I got nowhere as always. I wish I could say something to tip the scales. Although, I think he is starting to truly acknowledge me.” Kougyoku sighed and tapped a finger against her hair pin. “I will be going to Reim tomorrow and I’ll be staying there for a week. Please tell the female attendants to prepare my things.”

“Wait, will you be going alone again, my lady?” Ka Koubun cried out.

“I will. I know what I’m doing and Nii-sama approves.” Kougyoku refrained from telling him about her plans for the next year since Ka Koubun would probably throw a fit and scream all the way to the Sacred Palace and back. “Plus, Muu-san will be there. I haven’t seen him for a while and we had so much fun planning the Reim-Kou-Kina Alliance.” Kougyoku beamed. “Maybe I can get his opinion on my argument with Nii-sama. Maybe Titus-kun can help too.”

Ka Koubun didn’t protest on her going anymore, but he frowned the entire way to the transportation circles the next morning. Hakuryuu and Koumei were there to see her off as well. She was reading through the documents she had been given and she hadn’t slept the entire night. Her conversation with Aladdin had been brief since she’d had to read through the unnecessarily huge stack of documents that had been brought to her. Koumei looked more exhausted than her, but Hakuryuu looked extremely fresh. In fact, he looked so fresh it almost got on her nerves.

To her delight, the person waiting for her when she arrived at the Reim checkpoint was Muu.

“Muu-san!” She grinned widely, not hesitating to skip over to his side in a very unladylike manner. She loved Reim. She knew the people far too well after staying in the capital city for several months, before Aladdin had asked her to marry him. It had been staying in Reim and so far away from Aladdin that made her realize not only was she in love with him, but she wanted to spend the rest of her life with him. So when he had asked her to marry him, it had been an easy answer. She had said yes right away.

“Lady Kougyoku.” Muu smiled in that polite but happy way of his and bowed.

“Maa~ I always tell you to just call me Kougyoku.” Kougyoku said with a little laugh. In Reim she could be herself, just like she could be herself around Aladdin. She could let her guard down. And maybe that was why, her first night there, Kougyoku woke up gasping and crying into her pillow even though nothing bad had happened in Reim. She had had a nightmare. Of that she was sure, but of what, she couldn’t recall.

“The major issue is that Kou can’t simply release information on the undeveloped talismans. We can inform you of what we are working on, but the progress will be kept secret. That is how business works, after all. You don’t see renowned restaurants just giving out their secret recipes, do you?” Kougyoku asked, rearranging her notes in her hands.

“Lady Kougyoku, is there something wrong? You seem very tired,” Titus said. “If you would like, we can postpone this meeting for a bit.” He looked genuinely concerned for her wellbeing. Kougyoku’s eyebrows twitched. As much as this place was like a second home to her, she was being a professional ambassador at the moment. Slip-ups weren’t allowed.

“I’m fine, Lord Titus. I can make it through this meeting,” she said with a firm nod.

“All right.” Titus motioned for her to continue.

Kougyoku finished giving her statement. The others agreed to give their statements the next day. Titus and Marga took her on a walk through the orange gardens.

“Where is Sphintus?” Kougyoku asked.

“Ah, he’s currently in Magnostadt. He was invited to teach a three-day class on medical spells,” Titus explained. Marga hauled up her basket of oranges and called for them to hurry over.

“She grows up so fast. Just a couple of years ago, she was a child who could only dream of doing the things she does now. These days, she’s starting to surpass me in politics.” Titus chuckled. “But I guess that’s what it means to grow up. You start surpassing people you look up to and you learn the ways of the world.”

“How is her health?” Kougyoku wondered as they walked up to Marga.

“Ever since Aladdin reconstructed her body to destroy the disease, she’s been doing fine. Sphintus regularly runs checkups on her but she’s perfectly well. You have no idea how much that means to me. Sphintus and I have been living with Marga for a long time now and we owe Aladdin so much for saving her. She’s my little girl.” Titus rubbed the top of Marga’s head when they reached her.

“Were you talking about me still being a little girl again, Titus Oniichan? You know I’m older now!” Marga pouted. Kougyoku chuckled.

“So you are. Would you like to go shopping with me? We’ll buy older girl stuff.” Kougyoku held out her hand.

-o-

That night Kougyoku’s nightmare was vivid and clear in her mind. She woke up with a muted scream in her pillow, shooting up with the speed of an arrow and clutching her hands. She told herself it had just been a dream. She looked down at her shaking hands and couldn’t see Aladdin’s blood all over them. It was all right. Aladdin was still alive. But even then she found herself dashing out into the moonlit hallways and making her way into the orange gardens, running barefoot in the moist soil. She closed her eyes, mind reeling. How far were the Fanalis lands? How long would it take for her to get there if she djinn equipped?

“Lady Kougyoku?” Sphintus’ surprised voice asked. Kougyoku spun around, heart hammering in her chest. He was standing there, staff in hand and snake around his neck.

“Titus, over here!” Sphintus called out. Kougyoku flinched. Titus rushed over, eyes wide.

“Kougyoku!” Titus said. He walked up to her and cupped her face with his warm hands. “What is it? What happened?” His thumbs rubbed over her cheeks and then Kougyoku realized she was crying.

“I...I…,” Kougyoku started trying to explain, but she only trailed off, sank to the floor, and cried into Titus’ arms.

“Would you like me to take you to Aladdin? I should be able to locate him,” Titus offered the next day, after they finished their trading meeting. Kougyoku had calmed down since the night before and now she felt rather silly.

“No, I’m fine. I’ll manage somehow. Aladdin is busy and so am I,” she said firmly. Titus didn’t push it any further, but Sphintus mixed some sleeping medicine for her, and Marga slept with her that night. As the week went by, Kougyoku found herself sleeping peacefully. But she felt another part of her die inside.

-o-

“Well done, Kougyoku! I heard you got a favourable trading deal for both Kou and Reim!” Hakuei was in the palace when she got back to Kou. Sphintus had given her a large amount of sleeping medicine in case she had trouble sleeping again.

Kougyoku smiled and suddenly Hakuei frowned. “Kougyoku, are you alright?”

Kougyoku blinked in confusion. “You seem...less...well, here. Are things going well with Aladdin-kun?” Hakuei asked.

Kougyoku clenched her fists. To be honest, she had been avoiding her daily talks with Aladdin. She would give him excuse after excuse. She just didn’t know how to talk to him without crying her eyes out. She couldn’t bear to let Aladdin see how much she was falling apart without him. She wanted him to continue doing what he enjoyed. Kougyoku swallowed hard.

“Hakuei Oneesama...what do I do? I think I’m ruining things with Aladdin…,” Kougyoku whispered, her voice wobbling.

“Kougyoku, what? No. Come here, darling.” Hakuei pulled her into a hug and waited for Kougyoku’s shoulders to stop shaking. Kougyoku told Hakuei everything.

“Kougyoku, now you listen here. There’s only one thing you can do to pull all of this together. You need to cry to him. Aladdin-kun loves you for you, dear. You need to tell him even the tiniest things you think about. You can tell him you want him to have fun, finish what he needs to do, but you also need to tell him that you want him home as fast as possible, you hear me?” Hakuei asked in that motherly way of hers. Kougyoku gazed at her cousin’s serious eyes. Her lip quivered and she nodded.

“Good girl, you can still fix this. Aladdin-kun loves you far too much to just let you run away because of insecurity.”

“He does, doesn’t he?” Kougyoku said in a hushed voice.

“Of course he does. Don’t you remember how hard he fought for you?” Hakuei smiled at her. Kougyoku nodded. “Now, let’s go have dinner.”

-o-

“Aladdin?” Kougyoku asked once she felt the nudge in her mind. Her voice wobbled. She heard Aladdin draw in a sharp breath.

“How are you feeling today, Kougyoku? Do you feel better?” Aladdin’s voice was breathless and strained and Kougyoku felt herself falling apart, because if she was correct, that was the sound of Aladdin scared.

“Aladdin...Aladdin...I know you are busy and you have your duty and I have mine...I really do know. More than you could ever imagine, I know. But...but I just miss you so much!” Kougyoku felt the floodgates break. It hurt. It hurt so bad to let everything come out and yet, she felt so relieved to just empty out her heart at Aladdin’s feet. She cried for a while and Aladdin stayed silent. Once she was done she waited for Aladdin to speak, sniffling softly.

“I miss you too, Kougyoku. These past few months have been so agonizing. I’m just barely making it every day. I’m supposed to stay longer in some of these places but I’m going to rush back to Kou as soon as possible. Just you wait!” Aladdin said firmly.

“Hm...I’ll wait for you!” Kougyoku smiled through her tears.

Yamraiha visited from Magnostadt to do some sort of spell discussion with Koumei. She spent most of her time in the laboratory, but sometimes came to talk to Kougyoku, who was always sitting in the library studying up to become a proper travelling mouthpiece for Kou. She was still having debates with Kouen on daily basis.

“So when is the wedding?” Yamraiha asked Kougyoku as the two of them searched for scrolls.

“I’m honestly not sure. I guess I’ll just have to wait.” Kougyoku shrugged and sighed.

“Ano ne~” Yamraiha sounded annoyed. “I noticed this when Aladdin was in Heliohapt, but you two seem to be souring your relationship by being extra conscious about what might upset the other. That is not how these things should work. You are going to get married, Kougyoku. If you can’t speak to one another freely about how you feel, then it’s not going to work.” Yamraiha frowned at her.

“Kougyoku, we’re in peaceful times. You don’t have to work so hard. Listen to me. You have to be selfish, Kougyoku. If everyone else is allowed to, then so are you.”

And that was that.

Kougyoku’s stress levels decreased rapidly. She talked to Aladdin for much longer than she was used to. She was able to enjoy her work more and look forward to the future she envisioned. Two days before the official Peace Alliance Meeting in Kou, Kougyoku argued with her brother over the teleportation circles for the last time.

“And that concludes my argument, Nii-sama.” Kougyoku stood tall, her feet swamped by scrolls and paper. She was pretty sure she had an ink mark on her face, but she was more focused on the task at hand. Kouen had an interesting grin on his face, one she had never seen before.

“Make preparations to change the teleportation circle laws,” he called. “You win, Kougyoku.”

“Yes!” Kougyoku pumped her fist in the air and jumped, almost tripping over the multitude of parchment at her feet.

“Oh, also Kougyoku, do me a favour. I need you to compile and present all the Kou trading for the Peace Alliance Meeting,” Kouen told her, looking up from his papers. Kougyoku’s excitement and triumph vanished.

“But...Kouen Nii-sama, that’s just two days away….” Kougyoku’s voice was dry with horror.

“I know.” Kouen’s voice sounded amused. “I can count on you to do it, right Kougyoku?” He gave her a look. Kougyoku almost collapsed. Her brother was giving her that challenging look. She knew the task was near impossible, but she felt fired up. There was no way she was going to lose anytime soon.

“I’ll have it done, Your Highness.” She smiled icily. “Well then, I will be on my way.”

She lifted her skirts and picked her way out of the scrolls and paper on the floor as her two attendants picked them up and Ka Koubun escorted her to the library.

-o-

“Good God! I need to get this done in two whole days?” Kougyoku cried out in realization and horror, clutching her head and messing up her perfectly done hair. “Ka Koubun and you two, get me all the trading records we have, now!” Kougyoku took her seat and pulled out a stack of paper she always kept under the desk she used in the library.

“We won’t be sleeping for the next two nights!” she bellowed.

-o-

I’m coming home!

Kougyoku sat up so fast her head spun. Ka Koubun and her two attendants were nodding off over the material she was taking notes on. Kougyoku had spent the lasts two days and nights in the library. She had had another dream, a pleasant one this time. She must have forgotten to take the medicine Sphintus had given her. She couldn’t remember anything from her half asleep state the night before. The sky was turning grey; she hissed in surprise.

“Ka Koubun! Wake up! Pass me the next one! It’s the second last one, isn’t it?” she snapped. Ka Koubun shot up, half-shouting something before he realized where he was. He bowed his head sheepishly in her direction and the handed her the next scroll. Koumei had dropped by the library to give her some tea he had personally brewed and to comment on her very unruly appearance. He even had the gall to compare her hair to his!

She scribbled information onto the ink-smudged stack of papers that were her notes. She let her attendants go. They were tired and she was working on the second-to-last document. She finished the notes for that scroll and held out her hand for the last one.

“Ah, I think this isn’t that important. It’s just about the trading route Kou used when the empire first established-” Ka Koubun said with a voice that betrayed just how exhausted he was.

“It doesn’t matter! Just hand it over! Everything is important when it comes to trading! I should have been born a trader’s daughter, hones-”

“My lady!” A servant ran in, shrieking at a glass-breaking pitch. Kougyoku, Ka Koubun and her startled attendants turned to the servant. “My lady! I thought you should know! Lord Alibaba, Lady Morgiana, and Lord Aladdin were just spotted across the plains!”

Kougyoku suddenly felt like a dried twig set on fire. The pen and scrolls fell to the ground, slipping out of her fingers. She was on her feet before she could even process that her body was trying to move. The inkwell fell on her dress, dyeing the vibrant pink and yellow fabric black. She knew her hair was an utter mess and she hadn’t even tied it up. She had no makeup on and she was sure she had ink and creases from her sleeves and hair on her face. Her ink-stained hands were shaking.

So, so, many arguments came to mind. Aladdin was probably tired. She shouldn’t rush out to him. He had been travelling around for a whole year! She was hardly presentable. What would others say if Aladdin’s fiancée turned out to be some poorly dressed, crazy woman? She had her own work to do. The Peace Alliance meeting was today and she had yet to complete and organize her notes and presentation. But her hesitance lasted only briefly.

“Kougyoku, we’re in peaceful times. You don’t have to work so hard. Listen to me. You have to be selfish, Kougyoku. If everyone else is allowed to, then so are you.”

So she decided to throw all caution to the winds, bunching up her skirts, lifting them up in an extremely unladylike manner and running out the door faster than Judal could ever hope to run.

Who cared what other people thought? Aladdin had seen her at her worst. He wasn’t some sort of prize she had to fight to keep. He was already hers and it was as simple as that.

Kougyoku had never been a proper lady. She had never been calm and composed. She had always been ‘a little crazy’, ‘a little childish’. She had always been someone who followed her heart and not her brain. She had tried to change herself over the years, but it was who she was. Why on earth had she even tried to change herself to be worthy of Aladdin, when he had fallen in love with her for who she was?

“Woah! Kougyoku!” Koumei cried out as she dashed past him, surprise evident on his face.

Servants stopped to stare. One of Kougyoku’s half sisters looked horrified and disgusted. Kouen had just arrived at the courtyard which was being used as the landing area, a welcome party behind him. Guards were starting to take their places in the courtyard. Kougyoku ignored all of hubbub and ran out into the courtyard, ignoring the startled clamouring behind her.

She instantly spotted Aladdin flying as he approached the palace. He spotted her as well, and grinned brightly at her. Kougyoku beamed and stretched out her arms, ready to embrace him. He came rushing towards her.

“Kougyoku!”

“Aladdin!”

And then she was falling backwards, her beloved in her arms. He threw his arms around her, shielding her from hitting her head against the ground. Both of them giggled like happy children. Kougyoku felt warm and safe and just herself in his arms. The anxiety, the loneliness and hurt she had felt during the past year all melted away and she pressed her face against one of his arms.

“This has got to be the best welcome I have ever gotten! How did you know I’d want to see you looking just like this? What a lovely mess you are!” Aladdin grinned cheekily.

“Shut up, you! I’ve been up for two nights straight preparing for my presentation!” Kougyoku huffed fondly. “Idiot!”

She wanted to scold him but couldn’t keep the smile off her face.

“I missed you. Welcome home,” she whispered. A wistful and loving look crossed over his face. Aladdin closed his eyes and pressed his forehead against hers.

“I’m home, Kougyoku. I’m home.”

Kougyoku closed her eyes as well. She felt so at peace.

“Ah, I knew this was why Aladdin was rushing, but still! Aladdin is a lucky man!” Alibaba chuckled from behind.

Kougyoku’s eyes snapped open as she was suddenly pulled to her feet and the travelling shawl Aladdin wore was draped over her head.

“No one else is allowed to see Kougyoku like this! Not even you, Alibaba!” Aladdin said loudly. Kougyoku peeked out from under the shawl. Alibaba looked taller, more confident. He was dressed outlandishly and he was sporting some stubble. Morgiana’s hair was longer and her legs were decorated with strange and intricate gold thread braces. Kougyoku turned to take a good look at Aladdin as well. He was even taller than she remembered. He was wider too, more mature. She smiled to herself and took his hand. Many women, like the palace maids and most of her half sisters, swooned over Aladdin, but he was all hers

“Welcome back! It’s been a long time! How are the three of you? Hakuryuu, Hakuei, Kouha, and Judal are still on their way here.” Kouen walked over to them, followed by Koumei, who looked like he hadn’t slept in years.

“Ah, that’s all right. We can wait for them. The three of us are good, but Aladdin could do better if he was somewhere alone with Kougyoku. We’ll rest for a while and Aladdin and Kougyoku can have some alone time.” Alibaba grinned.

“Where are we going?” Aladdin asked her as she tugged him along with her.

“To my room. My private study in the library is too much of a mess,” she explained.

“Eh? Kougyoku Oneesan’s room? Is this an invitation to do naughty things?” Aladdin cried out. Kougyoku resisted the urge to laugh and rolled her eyes.

“Keep dreaming, young one.” Kougyoku opened the door and no sooner had she closed it than Aladdin wrapped his arms around her, pulled her close, and kissed her. Kougyoku closed her eyes and kissed him back. She’d missed everything about Aladdin and now he was right in front of her.

“I missed you,” Aladdin whispered when he pulled away.

“I missed you too,” Kougyoku breathed. “I don’t think we can do something like this again. Aladdin, we need to talk.”

“I know we do.” Aladdin pulled her over to her bed that faced the window overlooking a garden beneath. They sat down side by side, still clutching hands tightly.

They started off with all the lighter stuff. They talked about how their year went and didn’t keep anything from each other. Kougyoku even told him about the nasty Hind and Kouha’s words to him. (Aladdin got angry and almost teleported to Qishan right then to deal with Hind himself.) They then talked about how lonely they got, their nightmares, their lowest points. They talked for a long time. When they had finally finished, the sun had made its way well into the sky and breakfast had already gone by.

“You know what, Kougyoku? Let’s just leave.” Aladdin turned to look at her, sounding one hundred percent serious.

“Huh?”

“Yam-san was right! These are times of peace and the real one in charge here is Alibaba, so why do I get a harder time than him? Let’s just leave and go on a trip around the world. You and me. Alibaba can take care of himself.” Aladdin nodded in a self-satisfied manner.

For a moment Kougyoku was stunned, but then she grinned.“Yes! Let’s go! And on our travels, if we find the perfect wedding spot, everyone will just have to come there for the wedding! When we finally feel at peace, we can come back and do some work, not too much of course! Kouen Nii-sama already said he was going to align my travels with yours!”

Kougyoku was excited by the whirlwind of her thoughts. “We could visit uncharted area, ancient cultures, eat exotic food, wear fabulous clothes! Let’s do it, Aladdin!” She had gotten to her feet and was waving her arms around. Aladdin got to his feet, grinning just like her.

“I knew I chose the most perfect person to get married to.” Aladdin bent down and pecked her on her lips. “Now go ahead, gather all of the things you want to take with you. Not too much, of course. Then we’ll go tell Alibaba we’re leaving.”

Right now? But I have my presentation...is this wise? Kougyoku wondered, but she looked into Aladdin’s eyes again and made her decision. She darted to her closet and stuffed some clothes into a bag, before dragging Aladdin with her to the library where Ka Koubun was struggling to finish her notes.

“Lord Aladdin!” Ka Koubun got to his feet in a hurry.

“Yo!” Aladdin beamed.

“Ka Koubun, pass me those books. Yes, thank you! Oh also, I’m going to be going on a trip, can you do this presentation for me instead?” Kougyoku asked.

“Me?” Ka Koubun squeaked, pointing at himself. Kougyoku and Aladdin nodded. Ka Koubun’s eyes rolled up and he fell backward.

“Whoops! Oh well, he’ll be fine. He just fainted from the shock. Now let’s go find Alibaba!” Aladdin pulled her after him this time.

Alibaba was in Kouen’s study. “Alibaba!”

“Kouen Nii-sama!” Kougyoku said. Both turned to them with puzzled looks on their faces.

“We’re going on a trip and we’re not really asking for your permission, we’re just letting you guys know,” Aladdin said breezily.

“Huh? Aladdin? Kougyoku! But you guys are important members of the meeti-” Alibaba started in that good old panicky way of his. Meanwhile, Kouen stared at Kougyoku hard and Kougyoku stared right back.

“Very well then, we can handle the meeting ourselves. You two enjoy. It’s a vacation well earned.” Kouen waved them off.

Aladdin didn’t wait for anything else. He turned and ran, still holding Kougyoku’s hand. Kougyoku laughed. She looked disastrous, but she had never felt more free and beautiful. They neared the courtyard.

“Wait, wait! Aladdin! You know I don’t run as fast as you! Slow down!” Kougyoku laughed.

“Oh! Aladdin! I’ve got something to-” Kouha said as they ran past him.

“Hi Kouha! Bye Kouha!” Aladdin waved. He jumped into the air, magic carpet spreading beneath his feet as he swept her off her feet, holding her in his arms. “We have a long adventure ahead of us, my queen Kougyoku!”

Kougyoku let out a very unladylike but very her scream into the air.

“Let’s go!”

The endless sky spread out before them.

Kougyoku was fine. Home was where Aladdin was.

A/N - This is the first time I’ve ever participated in a Big Bang and so I was really really awkward about this, but it was really fun working on this fanfic! I’m really happy that I got to work with my daughter @suitcasesoffeathers for this! I can’t wait to see her art. I’d like to thank @magibb for having arranged this event and @kurisuumakise for being my beta! And of course I thank my lovely wife @rest-in-bees for reading through this is it’s unrefined form and telling me that it was great!

#magibb #sunny writes #sunny's fic #magi #alakou #aladdin #ren kougyoku #I can finally post this!#leaps into the air and screams

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fluffyfluffemz · 5 years

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Courage Bloopers 2

Note: If you’ve been reading on AO3 or Wattpad, these will be spoilery!

[Context: Muu and Scheherazade have a discussion about Thalia.]

Muu Alexius knelt in front of Reim’s sorceress, the magi Scheherazade, his head bowed low. Though she was hundreds of years older than him, he considered her to be like a mother. She’d always provided him with guidance, and he assumed that was why she’d summoned him here today.

“My child,” her soft voice greeted him, “raise your head. You know there is no need for formalities.”

Muu knew, but some habits were hard to break. He stood up, looking her in the eye. She wore the sad, distant expression of someone who had lost everything she had ever loved several times over, but when she smiled, the loneliness melted away, and he grinned back.

In short order, her lips fell back into a serious expression. “You may recall a few years ago, our emperor went against my warnings and attempted to marry his son to a princess who disappeared shortly before the wedding.”

Muu vaguely remembered a scandal of the sort. He wondered why she would bring that up after all this time. Come to think of it, the girl had made fresh rounds of gossip several months ago after she had been discovered living as a slave. No one knew what exactly happened to her after that. No one had cared enough to keep track.

Lady Scheherazade sighed beleagueredly and continued. “The union between the princess of Attica and Nerva never meant to be. That’s because she was always meant for you, Muu. If a certain organization hadn’t interfered with the affairs of that nation, I suspect the two of you would already be engaged even without my intervention. Your destinies have been intertwined since the day the two of you were born.”

Muu straightened. If they were destined to be together… did that mean she was his soulmate? He didn’t know if he believed in such things, but if there was a woman out there for him, he’d hoped he wouldn’t meet her until later in his life, when he was ready to settle down. He was just discovering the wonders of women, or, rather, women were just discovering him.

“Sometimes, a person’s life branches off from the main path, taking an unexpected route, but the destination is always the same. That is a person’s fate. Despite the organization’s interference, this girl’s life was on track to correct itself, so I was not concerned with keeping track of her. However...”

“Has something changed?” he asked, noting the hint of warning in her voice.

“I recently tried to locate her, but it was difficult. It seems her rukh is being masked by a much stronger power— a singularity. That… was not supposed to happen. Somehow, it seems she’s been pulled off course and sucked into the vortex of this singularity’s destiny. On top of that, the quality of her rukh has changed. She is very close to falling. Muu…”

Scheherazade stood up and approached him, using her staff to support her aging puppet body.

“I have been trying to obtain Attica for Reim for centuries. It will be an ideal military base for when we go to war with Parthevia. You must find Thalia Alexandris in Balbadd and guide her back to the course she was meant to take. You will marry her and cede your authority as king to Reim.” Lady Scheherazade struck the ground with her staff for emphasis. “You must not let her fall into depravity. I know you’re busy with your own plans, but I need you to do this.”

“It seems this is destiny after all,” he mused. “Yesterday, I placed a large order from a company located in Balbadd. I’ll inform them there’s no need to arrange the shipment of goods. It looks like I’ll be picking it up in person.”

Lady Scheherazade closed the distance between them, patting his arm affectionately.

“You’re such a good child, Muu. Thank you.”

Muu basked in Lady Scheherazade’s praise.

If this Thalia girl was his destiny, he would do everything in his power to protect her. True love? Soulmates? He didn’t know anything about that, but if there was one thing he believed, it was that fate was something worth defending. It was what had brought Lady Scheherazade into his life, after all. The woman he considered a mother had given him this task, and he had no intention of letting her down.

[Context: Thalia is pretending to be Parsine in order to conceal her identity and has agreed to tell him about Thalia in exchange for him teaching her to sword dance.]

Smugly stuffing another grape in her mouth, she relaxed in her chair. This pretending to be someone else thing was actually pretty amusing. Was she a bad person for enjoying the charade? Muu seemed so genuine, and here she was toying with him, but she was on a bit of a power trip. For years, as a slave, she’d been forced to pretend to be someone else. Now, she was the one in control. She had decided to lie about her identity, and she had the wits to carry out this deceit. When she revealed the truth, it would be because she wanted to.

If she was being honest with herself, though, she did feel a little guilty. She liked Muu. She was finding she enjoyed his earnest personality, and his interest in her was flattering. Well, he wasn’t actually very interested in Parsine, but when he talked about showering Thalia with gifts to win her affections, she couldn’t help but be envious of herself. She would tell him who she was eventually.

“That’s right,” he muttered thoughtfully. “She’s bound to have much more discerning taste than you, I’m afraid.”

Thalia bit back an amused laugh. Eventually might have to come later rather than sooner. She was enjoying this too much.

“I think if you met her, you’d be surprised.”

“Is that so?” he mused. “Everyone I’ve talked to has told me she’s quiet and demure— a true lady even in slavery.”

Thalia was so shocked by this pronouncement, she nearly choked on another grape. Was that how people had seen her when she’d been living as a slave?

“She snort-laughs at fart jokes,” Thalia corrected him quickly after swallowing her snack. “She likes to play pranks on her friends, and when she gets especially anxious or upset, her stomach tends to get unsettled. She’s far from ladylike.”

Muu studied Thalia carefully. “You know, for someone who just worked in the same department as her, you seem to know her fairly intimately. Miss Parsine, are you…?”

Thalia squirmed under his scrutinizing gaze, her overconfidence gone. He had figured her out. She wasn’t clever after all, just a liar.

“Are you in love with her?”

Thalia blinked. He hadn’t figured it out. He thought she was in love with herself instead.

She giggled lightly. “You caught me, Muu. I have a weak spot for pretty girls.”

A thoughtful expression clouded his face. “Is she that beautiful?”

Thalia coughed uncomfortably. “I’d say she’s about on par with me… so whatever you think of me, you’ll probably think the same thing about her.”

“That’s unfortunate,” he muttered.

[Context: Ja’far just scolded Sinbad for letting Thalia become a distraction]

Ja’far relaxed in his seat, apparently put at ease. “In that case, I heard that the theater is putting on a play. Drama is a huge part of Attican culture, so I think she would appreciate it if you took her there.”

Sinbad nearly fell out of his chair in disbelief. “You just gave me a huge speech about how she was bad for me, and now you’re giving me romance advice?”

Ja’far shrugged. “She makes you happy, doesn’t she? If you understand where your priorities need to be and start making better decisions, I don’t see a problem with you two being together.”

“Ja’far!” Sinbad got up from his chair and rounded the desk to put his friend in an affectionate headlock. He laughed as his friend grumbled irritably. It was nice to have moments like these, where they didn’t have to act like professionals, but could behave like the kids they were.

“Anyway, if you’re going to take her to the play, you need to do it today.” Ja’far said as soon as Sinbad released him. “This is the last showing for a while.”

[context: Sinbad took Ja’far’s advice to take Thalia to a play. Thalia is using a fake name to get Muu to teach her how to sword dance]

“Your hips should be lower,” Muu directed her, wrapping his large hands around her waist and encouraging her to deepen her stance. Thalia ignored the awkwardness of his touch. She was the one that had asked him to teach her, and he was being entirely professional. There was no real reason to complain.

“Ah, there you are, Parsine,” Sinbad greeted her cheerfully, and Muu pulled his hands off her hips. “Here I had these tickets to see a play, and I was going to ask you to come along, but it looks like you’re busy.” He waved around two tiny sheets of paper in the air.

“But… sword dancing…” Thalia eyed them hungrily. She hadn’t seen a play since the performance Sinbad had put on for her years ago. Her gaze then switched to Muu’s face. Would he be okay with her running off mid-lesson like this?

“Maybe I’ll see if someone else wants to go with me, since my best friend is busy with another guy,” Sinbad lamented dramatically, throwing a hand to his forehead.

“No,” Thalia said, reaching for the tickets. “Don’t do that. You know how I feel about plays.”

“In that case,” Sinbad snaked his arm around her waist and pulled her against his side, “I hope this is alright, Mr. Alexius.”

Muu smiled kindly. “That’s alright. We’ll just pick up where we left off tomorrow then.”

[context: An alternate possibility. Sinbad didn’t find Thalia in order to give her the tickets. Thalia was just told by Muu that he is her destiny]

When she returned to her dormitory, a figure was hunched over on the stairs staring at something in his hands. When Thalia got closer, she recognized a familiar mop of purple hair. What was Sinbad doing looking so dejected?

“Sin?” she asked, approaching her boss and best friend.

He smiled up at her, tucking two stubs of paper into his jacket. “There you are. Where have you been? I’ve been looking for you all day.” As he spoke, he grabbed her wrist and tugged her down into his lap, wrapping his arms around her.

“S-Sin, this is highly inappropriate!” She squirmed, embarrassed to be in such a compromising position. As her playful struggle gave way to giggling, the strange mood of the night dissipated. Fate, destiny, marriage… how could she worry about any of that when she was in Sinbad’s arms like this? Whatever it was, whatever obstacle came her way, she could overcome it with Sinbad at her side. With him, she was safe.

“I was going to take you somewhere tonight,” Sinbad told her, tightening his grip around her waist, “but it looks like you were busy.”

“A little,” she admitted

[the conversation shifts]

“Hey, Sin?”

“Hm?”

“Do you believe in destiny?”

He smiled at her kindly. “Of course. I can see it, you know.”

Thalia perked up. “You can… see destiny?”

He nodded. “I don’t know specifics, but I can sense the direction things are moving, so I always make the right choice.”

“What about me?” she asked eagerly. “Where am I headed?”

“We’re going to be together forever, right?” He beamed at her. “I’ll find a plot of land near Attica, and we’ll visit each other at least once a year. Neither of us will be able to get married because our spouses would get jealous of how much time we spend together.”

“Is that what you see?” she asked quietly, daring to hope.

He gazed off into the distance for a long time before finally answering. “Yes.”

Thalia deflated. He was lying.

“I can always tell when you lie, Sin.”

He shook his head. “I’m not lying… because I’m going to make it a reality.”

Thalia stood up, brushing the dirt off her skirts. “It sounds nice, but a future like that is impossible for me. I told you, I need a husband.”

With her eyes, she silently begged him to offer to marry her. He simply stared back at her, unfazed.

“You don’t. You can do this, Thalia. You can rule on your own, and if it gets to be too much, I’ll step in. You’re not in this alone.”

Of course. He wouldn’t be so easy to win over. She smiled at him, hoping the darkness hid the tear that slid down her cheek.

“Goodnight, Sin.”

#courage

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mastcomm · 5 years

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Last Call for a Beloved Fixture of the Marais District

PARIS — On a recent evening, Amar Sitayeb squeezed behind a tiny counter at the minimart that he and his older brother Ali have run for more than 35 years in the Marais district of central Paris. A plump gray tabby cat prowled the floor, and faded photos of neighborhood babies, many now grown-ups, were taped to an old cash register.

A stream of regulars filed in, grabbing potato chips, gum and soda, and lingering to exchange gossip and pleasantries. One neighbor with the sniffles bought honey and tea. Mr. Sitayeb fished mint for her from a refrigerator. “This should help,” he said.

Ten minutes later, she returned and asked for rum. “That’ll attack the cold quicker!” he laughed, pulling a bottle from the shelf.

The purchases were mainly an excuse to spend precious moments bantering with the Sitayeb brothers, known to residents around the rue Sainte-Croix de la Bretonnerie, a boutique-studded Marais street, as the eyes, ears and unofficial mayors of the area.

For soon, the unthinkable is set to happen: On Jan. 31, their store, Au Marché du Marais, will close, swept away in a tide of moneyed gentrification, like nearly every other independent shop and cafe around them.

“We know everyone here, we’ve lived our lives with them and we’re sad to leave,” said Ali Sitayeb, a fatherly figure who recently turned 70, but exuded a much younger energy. In place of the daily necessities that his store offers, like toilet paper and freshly-squeezed orange juice, he announced, a Princesse Tam Tam lingerie chain would be installed.

When I first heard the news, I was stunned. I had settled near the épicerie after moving to Paris in 2000. Since then, an incursion of designer boutiques had accelerated, turning the area into an outdoor shopping arena that draws thousands of visitors.

The brothers, who originally came from Morocco, remained steady fixtures throughout, greeting me on my way to work, dispensing witticisms and advice, and peppering me with questions about a succession of American presidents.

My neighbors were in mourning. The épicerie was a rare gathering spot, and the brothers, with alert eyes and sunny mustachioed faces, kept vigil over everyone. They held people’s keys and knew all the latest news on marriages, divorces, children, thefts, rivalries, real estate deals — the list goes on.

Theirs, however, is a tale of a rapidly changing Paris. And the closure of their shop, on a street where boutiques now sell 585 euro designer sneakers, has sparked angst among residents who see a warning in how big money-backed luxury brands aimed at wealthy tourists are consuming neighborhoods and eroding cultural identity.

“This changes everything,” said Eva Beau, a doctor who has lived near the shop for 20 years. “I feel like breaking all of this — it’s too sad,” Dr. Beau added, her eyes brimming with tears as she scrutinized the luxury storefronts.

Dr. Beau used to lower a basket with a rope from her fourth-floor apartment, into which the brothers would place coffee and other orders. “The neighborhood doesn’t need more boutiques,” she said. “We need the human contact of people like Ali and Amar.”

The brothers had long debated when to retire. When an electrical fire ravaged the shop five years ago, support from neighbors was so strong that they decided to keep going. But then the lingerie chain, run by Fast Retailing, a Japanese retail giant that owns Uniqlo, Theory and Comptoir des Cotonniers, made an advantageous offer for the space.

The pattern is playing out in cities across France. From Aix-en-Provence to Reims, Tours and Strasbourg, bakeries, cafes and shops are increasingly being taken over by retail conglomerates with vast financial resources. The stores look like quaint boutiques, yet the money behind them is formidable.

Near the Sitayebs’ shop, the Sandro, Maje and Claudie Pierlot clothing chains expanded under the ownership of the American private equity firm KKR before being taken over by the Chinese textile giant Shandong Ruyi.

Lacoste and Kooples, which replaced a bakery and bookstore, belong to Maus Frères, Switzerland’s largest privately held retail group. Chanel and LVMH Moët Hennessy opened perfume and makeup stores, intensifying a surge in Marais real estate prices.

Adding to the pressure is the rise of late-night convenience stores backed by the supermarket giants Casino Groupe and Carrefour. The increased competition has shuttered scores of corner shops in Paris, many run by immigrants from North Africa.

“It’s money that makes the laws,” said Ali Sitayeb’s son, Tariq, 34, who helps run the épicerie but no longer counts on taking over.

The Sitayebs left Morocco in the 1970s as teenagers to earn a living as waiters and dishwashers in Parisian restaurants. But they found they could prosper more by operating a convenience mart well past the traditional 7 p.m. closing time of French retailers.

When the brothers opened the shop in 1984, François Mitterrand was president, prices were in French francs and the Marais, the historic Jewish quarter of Paris, was evolving from a gritty working-class textile and metal factory district. Butchers and boulangeries honeycombed the area. Yiddish was heard everywhere along the rue des Rosiers.

As cafes, bars and artisanal boutiques moved in, the Marais became the center for Paris’s L.G.B.T. community, drawing more visitors and prompting an ever more vibrant makeover.

While the Marais had already developed when I arrived, the influx of luxury storefronts has exploded since Europe’s economic and debt crisis ended in 2012, squeezing out residential and L.G.B.T. commerce, and taking over the historic Jewish center.

“This used to be a real neighborhood, with families and kids,” Amar Sitayeb said, as crowds of tourists strolled past on a recent weekend. “Now all that’s disappeared”

Jean Luc Rouillard, 67, a denizen since 1980, chimed in.

“The Marais has lost its soul,” he declared.

“That’s closing,” Mr. Rouillard said, pointing to a 45-year old antique shop being dismantled for a luxury hotel. “And that’s closing,” he added, eyeing Au Rendez-Vous des Amis, a neighborhood cafe that had just shuttered to make way for a hamburger joint.

“That too,” he continued, nodding to Les Mots à la Bouche, the oldest L.G.B.T. bookseller in the Marais, rumored to be converted soon to a Doc Martins shoe store after the lease became unaffordable. “It’s dramatic,” he concluded.

As locals contemplated the end of an era, they arranged a surprise party for the brothers on a recent weekday at Le Point Virgule, a small comedy theater next to the shop.

Neighbors filed in silently: Dr. Beau and her daughter Manon, 21; Vincent Douget, a former chef at the cafe; Henriette Delyfer, an art boutique owner who knew the brothers since she was a child; local police officers who had dropped in regularly to chat over orange juice.

At last the brothers arrived. They were speechless at the surprise. Tears misted their eyes. While they were looking forward to spending time with their families, “it’s very hard for us to go,” Amar Sitayeb said.

“They were the heart of this area,” said George Fischer, a retiree who has lived next to the shop for two decades.

Back at the épicerie, Tariq Sitayeb had prepared a potent rum punch and Moroccan pastries to welcome a growing crowd.

Ariel Weil, the mayor of Paris’s 4th arrondissement, appeared and shook Ali Sitayeb’s hand. A circle formed as neighbors lamented the Marais’ latest transformation.

“It’s just clothes, clothes, clothes,” Mr. Fischer said. “How is a bra going to replace my orange juice?”

“On a personal level I’m sad,” Mr. Weil said. “And as mayor, I’m worried that we can’t find a solution to keep small businesses from leaving.”

Ali Sitayeb looked at his watch and sighed. It was his brother’s turn to man the register, and he had to get home to rest. Tomorrow, they would continue the sobering task of winding down the store.

“People don’t want things to change,” said Tariq Sitayeb, as his father faded into the dark night.

“But a page is turning.”

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biofunmy · 5 years