I hope you guys get the old blog back @stories-by-rie here my pretty late entry.
The day of the selection. For years Talaina had worked towards this, toiling and training until she could take no more and beyond. Only the best of the best would be chosen for the ranks of warrior wives. Everywhere she looked, rods and ears twitched nervously as they all lined up. It was almost like roll call in the morning. Somewhere in the crowd would be Rishamela, who was also hoping to be selected, as were all the other three hundred women standing here, but only ten of them would be chosen. The instructor of the warrior wives walked slowly down the rows with narrowed eyes. As she did so, she kept stroking her whiskers. Talaina knew she stood out with her red fur, the fur that only lowly Kama'Bashat had. The instructor arrived at her row and stopped in amazement. Tipping her head back a little, she looked at Talaina longer. “What is your name, girl?” “Talaina.” “What clan?” “I don’t have a clan.” The astonished huff irritated Talaina. “Step forward, Talaina of Nobody.” “Zishi?”, Talaina addressed the instructor in confusion. At least she hadn’t forgotten to use the proper form of address. The instructor smirked and her whiskers twitched. “Let’s see if your training is enough. Now forward with you.” Talaina lowered her head and placed her guiding hand under her neck in salute. A moment later, she walked forward to where the palace guards were waiting for the chosen girls. She winced a little in surprise as someone stood next to her. A sideways glance revealed a priestess, clearly a Plitira with her furless body and pointed ears. “Can I help you, Adinishi?” The priestess smirked and looked up at Talaina. “I’m here to help you, child. You know this won’t be easy?” “I know.” “You also know that of the ten who will be chosen now, only four will make it?” “One of them will be me.” Where Talaina got that confidence, she couldn’t say, she just knew. The priestess nodded with her mouth pinched shut. “Being a warrior wife is not the fairy tale ending that everyone is told.” “Even if it were the dark sea in this life, it’s better than going back.” “I understand.” The priestess stood in front of her and took her hands. “Be careful Talaina of Nobody, you are only entering a world that just for fun, will use you and spit you out like a Tuhak spits out his bone. Be on your guard and act with care.” “Thanks…I think.” “If you need help send for Shiana.” Another chosen one stood by Talaina and the moment was over. She didn’t notice the other women either, so in thought, wondering what the priestess meant, until Rishamela joyfully jumped on her like a little kitten. “We both did it!” “Now comes the hard part, you know that?”, Talaina reminded her friend with a laugh. The odd warning forgotten in the joy of at least having a friendly face around.
(Hello and welcome back to flash fiction friday, where the official blog got randomly nerfed by Tumblr, so hi @stories-by-rie (and good luck dealing with staff). Time for Tragedy Couple? Time for Tragedy Couple)
Once upon a time, we were children who watched the stars.
You gasp softly as another star streaks across the sky. I watch it as it arcs towards the horizon. “Make a wish,” I whisper.
I glance over just in time to see you frown in concentration. I have to bite back a giggle at your expression. It’s cute.
Your face clears, and you nod with satisfaction. “There.”
“What’d you wish for?”
“You just told me it’s bad luck to say it out loud!”
“Yeah, but I’m curious.”
“Nope.” You shake your head, hair flying across the grass. “I’ll tell you when it comes true.”
It’s the exact deal I made with you earlier. I can’t fault you for learning from me.
“Fine.”
You smile at me, then turn back to the stars. I can see their reflections glimmering in your eyes, turning their dark color into a sky of their own. I’m struck by the thought that I would gladly get lost in those skies.
The thought makes me hot with embarrassment, but even that doesn’t stop me from reaching out and taking your hand before returning to watching the stars with you.
“Hurry up; they want to see you soon!” One of the maids lunged into Lili’s bedroom, almost tripping on her apron and landing askew. The princess, who curved over in a ball.
Her skirts lifted to showcase her ankles, yet only using her arms to cover her chest, Lili only lifted a hand down to reveal her face. She gaped at the twins with her saucer eyes–glistening in the few bits of sunlight, but without the tears she constantly bore during the fight.
And then she was snatched.
“What are you doing? Let me go!” Lili cried out, wiggling her arms to adjust her bodice.
“They’re calling out your name–why are you so afraid?” The maid on her left asked, adjusting Lili’s sleeve while the other flailed and kept the princess under control. Going down the stairs, they held down their charge as if she were a baby and not a grown lady who sauntered over the mountains with only herself and a magical sack. As they went lower and lower, Lili sunk into herself further.
Suddenly, they made it out into the foyer, spacious as it is meticulously decorated with art. Lili shook herself off as she kneeled down on the maroon carpet–sewn with the fine gold she stole and tempted others with. Like those who shouted from outside…
The maids opened the doors, and they all sung her name.
Haven’t done one of these in a while! Just a sad thought I had
Warnings: Major Character Death.
As soon as the curtains closed blocking out the natural light of the early afternoon sun Tenten spun on the spot and beamed when Shino, a small smile on his face and lamplight reflecting off his sunglasses, illuminating his pale skin, offered his outstretched hand and asked her to dance. The soft jazz music was already playing in the background that she had put on because she knew he loved it.
She was too happy, too giddy seeing him in their living room after so long, bypassing his hand, she ran the few needed steps and threw herself into his hold. Her arms looping around his neck gave him the momentum to pick her up and spin her before setting her down gracefully, holding her to him still.
“I missed you,” the whisper fell out of her lips as Tenten took that first sway side to side with him.
“I missed you as well.”
“It felt like you were gone forever,” she pleaded, her eyes sliding closed, rubbing her cheek against his. “Don’t leave me again, okay?”
“Never; why? I would never want to,” his hand slid up her back to rest right between her shoulder blades to hold her closer just as she liked. “Someone has to keep an eye on you. To keep you out of trouble.”
A beam appeared on her face pressing her forehead into his temple, leaning on him more to be able to kick her feet up, making him let out that breath of a laugh he always did. “That sounds perfect.”
The mission Shino had just come back from was long, but he was back, holding her, his hands on her, talking to her; everything about the world was perfect again. When he lifted their joint hands to place a kiss on her knuckles, her heart swelled so much her chest might burst open in happiness; again, she pushed into his hold more, to hug him against her so tightly there wasn’t any space between them at all, his breath was her’s, her heartbeat was his, yes, Shino was home.
He placed his lips on the bottom of her neck, making her sigh, they were somewhat cold, but that was expected he had his usual coat off.
“Maybe I should keep you in bed all day. That might keep you out of trouble.”
Those words in his voice were so strange they forced her eyes to open from their hiding place in his shoulder.
Shino wouldn’t say that she would say that, but he-
His hand pulsed in hers, his body became less solid against hers and the panic set in.
“No,” Tenten scrambled to organise her thoughts and calm herself, but it just made her mind race more, clutching on to him tighter, to keep him there, with her. “No, he is here. He is-he is-!”
And then Shino was gone, disappeared in a puff of smoke and accompanying tiny pop making her limp and shaky body fall to the carpet looking around with wide eyes that, for the one moment, couldn’t understand what had happened.
Reality slapped her across the face when her hazy, questioning brain caught up with the rest of her.
Nothinghad changed; he wasn’t there, Shino wasn’t home in her arms telling her all the ways he loved her, Shino was still freshly buried in Konohagakure’s gravesite in a plot beside his mother, and she was still alone.
Tenten’s hands fisted in her let down hair pulling at the roots hard as she buried her face in the floor and began to cry.
The warmth Shino’s skin held, his brilliant way of thinking that always amazed her, the love he wrapped her up in and made her feel safe no matter what was going on in the real world, the life they had planned to make together it was gone it was all just gone.
Shinowasgone.
Theloveof her lifewasdead.
No matter how perfect she made the shadow clone look.
