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 Posted: Fri Jun 27, 2014 6:49 pm
The months were torn and broken. A constant reminder of happiness and sorrow. Nicolette was happier then Ana saw her in months. At first anyway. Nicolette was overjoyed when the transformation was over. She felt whole again, herself. She was able to get up and have a long bath and put on a dress and have the maids do her hair. Just like it was supposed to be. It was her. She wanted to see Ryuu first thing, but her mom told her that Ryuu was having difficulties. There was something else Nicolette wasn't being told, but she left it as is and left Ryuu alone.
Three days later they told her. Nicolette felt her whole world crumble in guilt. It was crashing and suffocating. Not even painting drew her out and her stars held no warmth. Lorelei and Orpheus stayed with her when they could spare the time. In time Nicolette was able to return to a normal life. Though the crushing earth shattering guilt weighed on her shoulders every time she passed Ryuu's room. Every time she saw the shadows retreat from her steps. He was everywhere and yet no where.
Ana did all she could to help Ryuu in the months that followed. But even she found herself locked outside of his room, forced to just wait. The days were agonizing. It was worse then when he was out on his quest. How could you protect your son from himself? How did you chase away the demons that plagued the mind? She only knew one way...time. But as she watched the shadows shift and ebb through the castle, she couldn't help but wonder if Ryuu would be able to last out long enough.
In the weeks where the darkness all but left the castle, Ana felt a sickening feeling. It was that feeling again...the same as when that man had threatened Ryuu's life when he was still in the womb. The fear and pain at the thought she had lost her child, her firstborn. The idea was swallowing her, consuming her. Until the shadows shifted for the first time in her room in weeks. Vidor came to see her. Ryuu was alive. He would survive. It was all Ana needed to hear.
That morning, Ana pulled herself from her room for the first time in a couple days. She bathed, dressed in one of her armor clad gowns, and went down to breakfast. She was alone, Thomas at his duties already and Nicolette off with Lorelei and Orpheus somewhere no doubt. She sipped at her favorite tea, and nibbled on a corner of fresh baked danishes. She didn't know how much longer Ryuu would be, but she had hope now. He would make it through it. No….she. She would.
Suddenly, she felt a tap on her shoulder. Ana turned, but no one was there. When she turned back, her breakfast had disappeared and a voice rang out behind her. The room filled with the sound of a tea cup shattering to the ground as Ana hugged her daughter with such force it would have knocked a smaller person over. She kissed her, her forehead, her cheeks, her nose. "My sweet baby. My sweet baby girl." Ana's voice choked on a small sob.
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Posted: Sat Jun 28, 2014 5:22 am
Ryuu’s eyes went wide when she was suddenly pounced by her mom. She was quick enough to save the Danish from being splattered in between then, but in her haste to remove the piping hot tea from the presence so that she didn’t wear that either, it slipped from her fingers as the china was a little too slippery with her fingers still rather prunny from the bath. Ryuu felt the wind rush out of her lungs as her mom all but crushed her in her excited embrace.
”Mom! I can’t breathe!” Ryuu gasped before she was bombarded by more motherly affection. Ryuu sputtered a little, trying to avoid getting slobber ALL over her face and having her make-up run because of it. ”Mooommmm… the maids….” Ryuu did her best to ignore the giggles from the maids that were not far off, ready to clean up the broken cup and spilt tea that ran on the floor. Her mom’s words give her a bit of a pause, making her tense up for a moment before relaxing again. Her eyes downcast on the floor and a sad smile spread across her face.
”Baby girl… man… that’s going to take some getting used to. In all honestly, I’m not totally sure that I’m ready for this…” She paused and looked up at her mom when she was finally released. Her eyes softened a bit and she sighed, though a soft smile touched her face and even reached her eyes, making them twinkle ever so slightly. Ryuu’s smile… had never reached her eyes like this before. There was something that had changed in the Eldest, though it wasn’t apparent or obvious, but it was in the eyes, the way they shinned differently bore mute witness to something that perhaps the Eldest didn’t even know or recognize yet. Ryuu suddenly took a seat at the breakfast table and placed her Danish on a tray and pulled up some water. ”H-hey mom… I had to borrow some clothes, I hope that you don’t mind. Nothing in my wardrobe fits well anymore…” Ryuu’s face fell somewhat, this meant that she was going to have to get some new clothes… and getting new clothes as a girl was something that she was certainly not going used to, there would be a lot of flailing around on her end trying to find out what she needed, what she didn’t, what was in and what was out of style. How things fit and where they went. God… she was so not ready for this…
Maybe Tobi would come with her? Then again… if she brought Tobi with her then he would probably spend more time ogling her butt or boobs than giving any sort of constructive criticism… that was if he could stay awake long enough to give any sort of advice.
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Posted: Sat Jun 28, 2014 1:41 pm
Anastasia took a good five minutes to get a hold of herself and pull herself off of Ryuu. "I'm sorry….but you honestly do not know how worried I've been." she said in a soft tone. She smiled, and touched Ryuu's face. "I'm going to venture a guess and say the worst is over? You have time to adjust. We all do. In time." Uncertainty was much better then the black pits of despair. And she knew how additionally hard it was for a master of darkness. When the blackness was always so close at hand.
Ana sat back down at the table and poured a fresh cup of tea. She had no idea what Ryuu was on about. She liked the bitter sweetness of it. She took another bite of danish too just in case anyone else decided to steal her food. She tilted her head, listening to Ryuu's predicament. "I don't mind. Though you won't be able to borrow my things forever." She pointed out. "Maybe….we could go down to the village and do some shopping for you today? Just the two of us? Maybe Sorcha if you want, she had excellent taste though she would never admit it." Ana giggled lightly, and then paused. "And maybe….Nicolette?" She said the name hesitantly. Maybe a little bonding time could help ease the guilt and blame. She would not push it though. These things may also take time.
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Posted: Sun Jun 29, 2014 4:52 am
The sad smile stayed on Ryuu’s face as she looked down again, time to adjust… hopefully there was no time period for that, she got the feeling that she was going to need quite a bit of time in order get used to things and figure out what she was doing with herself. ”I hope so, Mom. Though I doubt things will be any easier for a time, I’ll just take it day by day until I feel strong enough to stand on my own again, that’s all I can really do right now… I’m sure there will be some pretty rough days for me in the future, distant or otherwise.” Ryuu took another bite of the Danish, savouring the flavours now that he got to the gooey center of goodness. When his mom suggested that they go shopping for clothes, Ryuu gave her a bit of a worried reluctance of a look. ”Would you mind? I need all the help I can get…” She grinned a bit at the mention of Sorcha and her tastes for fashion. ”Behind that armour, Sorcha really is a girly-girl, I bet if you searched her room you’d find a ton of those fashion fliers and their ilk. If she has free time and wants to come, then I have no problems with it if it’s too intimidating to go with me alone.”
When Niccy was brought up, Ryuu paused and lowered her Danish to the plate, her eyes became downcast and slightly to the left, a slight glare caressed her features… Nicolette… Ryuu had gotten past the blame of things, though there was still something there… jealousy? Animosity? Ryuu wasn’t sure what feelings there were in her guts whenever she thought of Niccy. Perhaps it was just resentment at the fact that Niccy was able to pick her life back up where she had left off, but she was still shifting through the broken pieces of it, trying to figure out what went where and how to place it back in her life… or if she needed to throw it out altogether. Trying to pick up where an old life left off when you were very much a different person wasn’t easy. Ryuu was going to have to learn to adapt or replace a lot of her life now. That alone was nurturing a bit of bitterness within her.
”I’ll… leave it up to you if you want them to come or not.” Ryuu said quietly, though there was an undertone of reservation in her voice, though that was probably more because his mom brought up Nicolette more than anything. She had no problems with Sorcha, hell the two of them were as thick as thieves sometimes, so it would be pretty safe to say that Ryuu would have no troubles going with her.
Ryuu started to take up her pastry once more. ”What time would you like to go and do this?”
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Posted: Sun Jun 29, 2014 4:51 pm
Anastasia smiled softly, then picked up a small bell on the table. With the sound of three rings, three maids came scurrying in. "Would two of you mind fetching Captian Sorcha and Princess Nicolette for me? Tell them to meet me in the court yard. We're going into the village. And do please not mention Princess Ryuu. I would prefer her being a surprise." Ana requested. "And lastly, could one of you please inform the stables to prepare the carriage. Normally I would walk but...we may have a bit to bring back."
The maids all did their curtsies and left to do Ana's bidding. Ana on the other hand drained a cup of tea and stood from the table. "Let's go meet them shall we?" She said, offering her arm and a smile.
Ana waited with Ryuu in the courtyard. The carriage was pulling up to the door. All they needed was Nicolette and Sorcha to arrive. Ana knew that if Nicolette knew Ryuu was there, she would likely avoid it. Pretend to be sick or something. Ana had no intention of seeing her children tip toe around each other forever.
Nicolette was having a good day. Most of it painting from her spot on the cliff. But when Lorelei found her and told her that the Queen wanted her to go to town with her, she quickly teleported home to change. When she walked to the front gates, she wore a sky blue dress with her hair in loose curls falling down her back. She hadn't quite got the paint off of her hands, so hid them behind her back before walking around the corner to see her mother and...Ryuu. Nicolette stopped in her tracks and stifled what sounded like a tiny sob. "H-hi Ryuu." Nicolette stammered, feeling her stomach clench in that horrible shattering guilt again.
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Posted: Mon Jun 30, 2014 5:35 am
Ryuu continued to eat her Danish silently as her mom gave the orders to the maid, she visibly grimaced at the ‘Princess Ryuu’ part. It just… it just sounded all off. She always thought that Ryuu was such a strong and more masculine name, but now it was being associated with that of the fairer sex and someone who was hardly in a position of power in a lot of the kingdoms. Maybe it was just something that stuck in her mind, some sort of gender expectation or something like that, but the title and the name just didn’t add up… then again, maybe the name itself was just acting as a painful reminder what she had lost when she gave that potion to Niccy. Her eyes dropped to her own reflection in her water and her thoughts started to spin and twirl in her head. The sounds of a chair being pushed away snapped her to attention once more and brought her gaze upwards to her mom who was now hovering above her, looking down with smile filled with motherly warmth.
”Huh? We’re going now? But… but breakfast…” Having a feeling that she didn’t have much time, Ryuu rather ungracefully and unladylike shoved the rest of her Danish into her mouth and washed it back with the rest of her water, chewing quickly and swallowing just as fast she stood up, wiping her face as she went. She then looked at her Mom’s arm for a moment, slightly amused that now it was her offering the elbow instead of herself. She gave a bit of a sigh and looped her arm through before slowly making her way towards the front gates. Ryuu was still relatively unsure of all of this, and the thought of them needing a carriage to get back made her a little nervous as to what the day was going to bring, then again… they were picking up a whole new wardrobe for her… so she supposed that the carriage was going to be the best and wisest choice. Still though… how much stuff did a girl need in her closet anyway??
It seemed that they didn’t have long to wait for one of their two invited guest to arrive. Unfortunately, it was Niccy who arrived first, dressed in blue with her curls falling fairly loosely around her frame in an elegant dance. Their eyes met and locked, though Ryuu said nothing at first, not sure how to respond to her sister at this point in time. She knew it wasn’t her fault all this happened, she knew that it was her decision and hers alone to make… she knew that she hadn’t been upfront with Nicolette when she first came into her room that one night, and offered her, her life back without telling her that it would cost her, her own. She knew this, and yet… still she harboured some malcontent with her younger sister. It was Nicolette who first broke the silence between them. Ryuu opened her mouth but closed it, her head tilted down ever so slightly and she offered a small smile, her eyebrows angled upwards to give mute testimony as to how the Eldest wasn’t sure how to feel or act right now.
”H-hey Niccy…” There was a bit of a pause, awkward silence started to fill the air before the eldest continued with. ”You… look good.”
What else was there to say right now? It was interesting how hard it was to just up and forgive someone you had a grievance towards… even if you acknowledged that it was of no fault of their own. Thankfully, the awkward silence and feelings that were filling the air were broken a part by the arrival of Sorcha, the Commander of the Valkyries. When Sorcha first arrived, her reaction was similar to that of Nicolette’s, though it was how they differed that had being a thankful blessing.
Sorcha paused for a moment, as though she wasn’t sure if she was believing her eyes that the Eldest was right there in front of her. Sorcha’s eyes lit up and danced for a moment before she straightened herself up and walked over to the Queen and her Eldest child. She clicked her heels together at attention, straightening up before crossing her right arm across her chest and giving a slight bow. ”I apologize in advance for my actions that are unbefitting of an officer of my rank and station…” With that, Sorcha practically jumped on Ryuu and wrapped her arms around her, bringing her into a firm hug. It seemed that she was just as relieved as Ana to see that the Eldest was still alive and well after that frightful last few months. ”It’s so good to see you well and back on your feet, your Majesty.”
Ryuu’s face softened and she returned the hug, it was weird hugging females now… though admittedly it wasn’t all that terrible either…
”Well… maybe ‘better’ should be replaced with ‘well’ but yes… I am at least getting back on my feet. It’s good to see you as well Sorcha.”
Sorcha’s eyes opened and she gave a bit of a puzzled look before pulling away slightly. ”Are you not wearing a bra, your Majesty?” She asked with some level of confusion and surprise. ”A lady of your endowment should have one on, if anything to help with her lower back…”
A twinkle of amused mischief entered Ryuu’s eyes. ”Ah, well that’s where you come in, Sorcha. You see, I need someone to uphold the royal assets and I thought of nobody more qualified than the Commander of the Valkyries.” By this time, Ryuu had spun around, her back was pressed up against her friends front and Ryuu had placed her hands so that they were upholding Ryuu’s endowments. ”Sorcha, your mission today will be to serve and protect the best of the bounce. Guard and uphold it with your life!”
Sorcha look like she wanted to smash her hand into her face, though that was currently being occupied by the Eldest, instead, she just played along, happy that the Eldest was at least in a decent move compared to the last few months that she had been trying to sort through. She snapped into action, her legs spread apart slightly and her hands cupped the Eldest’s bosom. She snapped her head to the right.
”Understood your Majesty.”
”Good!” Ryuu’s head snapped to the opposite way that Sorcha was looking, their faces mirrored each other in a look of hardened concentration, with squinting eyes as though they were on the lookout for those who would dare mess with the precious Princessy cargo.
At least until Sorcha snorted and dropped her arms to tickle Ryuu’s sides.
Both girls were giggling now for a few moments before they realized that they were holding everyone up and climbed into the Carriage. It didn’t take long for Sorcha to figure out what they were doing and why she was here. Though she was a little bashful about it, she had no qualms about helping her friend and her Queen pick out a new wardrobe.
The first stop was the obvious one and Ryuu face turned a slight shade of red when they pulled up to the womens boutique. The Ladies shuffled out, though Ryuu remained behind for a few moments. Sorcha noted this and looked inside.
”Are you not coming, your Majesty?”
”Uhhh… I think I’d rather stay here, thank. I’ll… trust your judgements here. Go on without me.”
Sorcha’s hand grasped her wrist and Ryuu was given a steady pull out of the carriage. ”Oh no you don’t, we need you for proper measurements, and trust me… the right fit will make all the difference. Besides, it important for a lady to choose her own unmentionables, they are one with the ladies personality so should be chosen by her and her alone.”
Ryuu groaned as she was pulled into the shop. Once inside, she crossed her arms over her body and looked around in utter, total loss. This… this was going to be a really, really awkward stop…
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Posted: Tue Jul 01, 2014 7:36 pm
The ride was one of the most awkward of Nicolette's life. On more then one occasion she had tried to say something. Anything! But words turned to ash in her mouth. She would have words for her mother later though. Nicolette felt ambushed. She had hoped that once Ryuu was out in the world again that she would be able to ease into seeing her new...sister. Not have it dropped on her out of the blue. A warning would have been nice. At least then Nicolette could have tried to avoid it. Say she was sick. She actually did feel sick. The guilt felt like it was gnawing on her stomach, twisting and turning it until it wanted to cry out.
Anastasia was well aware of her daughters' discomfort. And she had no apologies, at all, what so ever. Those two were going to make up and they were going to be siblings again. Not strangers who just happened to share of bloodline.
Once they reached the first store, the bare essentials of women's clothing, Anastasia led the way inside with Sorcha taking up the rear. Ana made a beeline for one of the girls working, and brought her over to Ryuu. "This is my daughter Ryuu. She's recently had something of a growth spurt and will need her measurements redone." Anastasia explained with a friendly smile.
The young lady, a slim redhead in a simple pink dress, had enough tact not to look surprised at seeing the Queen and her daughters. Daughters...so the rumours were true then. "Of course you're majesty." The girl said with a small curtsy. She then turned to Ryuu. "Your highness, if you would just meet me at the back there when you are ready I can take your measurements. At your leisure of course. Though it would be easier for me to help you once we know your proper size." The girl smiled, and then turned to wait near the back of the store.
"You go on." Ana said, nudging Ryuu to follow the girl. "We'll just be looking around here." As she said that, Ana was already picking up an assortment of things that she guessed were about Ryuu's size. Everything from bras and panties to night dresses. Being a mother, she steered clear away from the more risqué selection, preferring not to think about either of her daughters needing such things. "What do you think Sorcha? See anything stand out?"
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Posted: Wed Jul 02, 2014 5:33 am
Once more, Ryuu somewhat cringed at the daughter thing, maybe it was the name… she would ask her mom about it later but for not she looked like she was ready to crawl into the tiniest hole in the world and just die. ”I am so not ready for this…” Ryuu have whined and half mumbled to herself as she watched the young lady walk over to the measuring room. Feeling rather uncomfortable with the situation, she stood almost transfixed on the spot for what felt like forever until she felt a hand press on her back and gently push forwards. She looked back at her mom who gave her an encouraging smile. Ryuu looked at the young girl and gave her a bit of a shy, nervous smile before taking the steps towards the lady who brought her into a curtained off area and politely asked her to take her to strip to her essentials. Ryuu looked mortified. Oh god… if this wasn’t awkward enough. Ryuu complied though, abit shyly and hesitantly, soon enough though, Ryuu was stripped to her boxers and ready for her measurements, her arms out and her legs together with her cheeks all but painted red and unable to make eye contact with the girl in the room with her, making measurements.
Was this how Niccy would have felt if their situations were turned around? Not that guys needed measurements for anything, hell, if anything it would have been so much simpler for Niccy to get her clothes. Guys usually didn’t care too much as long as it was a bit loose and comfortable to wear. This… this was almost too much. God… if this got out…
Wait… or did it get out already?! She had noted that this girl didn’t look shocked when her mom introduced her as her daughter, where there rumours? How bad where they? What were they? Did it somehow get out that she was turned against her will or did gossip twist things and make it out to be that she quested to become a girl?? Oh GODDESS no! Maybe the girl would bring it up? Maybe she was a gossip and she could get the root of why she was suddenly in the know of the Queen having two daughters… or was this girl new to the town? Yeah, maybe that was it, maybe she was new here and didn’t know that the Queen had a son and a daughter… who was now another daughter… Ryuu took a deep breath and decided to break the ice, maybe fish for some answers as to why this girl wasn’t shocked the Queen had two daughters.
”S-so um… are you… new to town or have you been here your whole life?” Well, conversation was better than awkward silence at least…
Sorcha was also starting to go through things and see what she could find for the former Prince, poor thing looked so lost in this world that she was scared she was going to make a bolt for the door like the devil himself was at her heels. Sorcha didn’t have a guess as to what Ryuu’s sizes were, so she more or less opted to scope the place out so she could perhaps guild things along quickly for Ryuu so that she could learn quickly and then leave. When Ana called to her, she turned around and almost had a mortified look on her face when she saw what Ana was picking out, assumedly for her newest daughter. Sorcha forced a smile at the Queen. ”W-well your Majesty, yes, I think I have a few things to show Ryuu… though… with all do respect are those… for Ryuu?” Sorcha came over when she to the answer and pulled a few styles out of Ana’s arms. ”With respect, I feel that we should provide Prince…ess Ryuu with something a little more her age. So let’s substitute those styles for this one… this one… and this one. Trust me, my Lady, these are more in line for what the Princess’ age is wearing now a days.”
Sorcha then looked at the night dress that Ana had in her hand, it was very pretty, and something that was quite in fashion… but would Ryuu wear such a thing? She supposed when the weather got warmer that it was always a possibility but… for the time being maybe something a little less… feminine? Poor Ryuu looked more than a little uncomfortable just stepping into the shop, so maybe they should ease her into this a little more gently. Sorcha walked over to another section of the store and pulled out some pajama pants and some spaghetti strap tops. ”Let’s pick these up for her as well too, your Majesty. I think that our Princess might like some variety with her sleepwear, yes?”
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Posted: Wed Jul 02, 2014 8:02 pm
"My whole life Your Highness." The young lady answered as she pulled out a long measuring tape and started to circle it around Ryuu in various places. She worked with a professional coolness that made it seem like she didn't even notice that Ryuu was just about naked in front of her. "My whole family has for five generations past. Since the time of your great grandfather's reign or something like that. My family has always supported your family's reign." The girl worked in a quick flurry of precise movements, making notes on a pad of paper as she did. "I suspect you'll be taking the throne soon Your Highness. It must be an exciting time for you. And a proper wardrobe will make you feel all the more the Queen in time if it's not to bold of me to say."
Soon the young woman was done and she looped the measuring tap around her neck. She handed Ryuu the scrap of paper she had been writing on. "Here are all of your sizes. I took the liberty of adding your dress size among others. Just in case you visit other shops in the village today." The young lady then curtsied and left to allow Ryuu privacy to dress.
Ana could only chuckle. "If you say so Sorcha." she replied, letting Sorcha pick out what she thought Ryuu might actually like. Sorcha new Ryuu better after all. And did have an eye for fashion. She would leave her to it.
On the pajama suggestion however, Ana nodded, though later tilted her head slightly. "I'm thinking more….variety. So that if she should decide she wants to wear something a little girlier one night, she'll have the option. I don't want to push it on her. But more...just having a little of everything until she grows comfortable in her own style."
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Posted: Thu Jul 03, 2014 6:58 am
Left alone, Ryuu only looked down at the paper with her measurements on it for a few moments in silence. ‘All the more the Queen’ huh? Ryuu certainly didn’t feel like the Queen… and she had almost forgot that her coronation was in a month and a little bit. Geez… this whole train wreck happened at a pretty lousy time if you asked her, she wasn’t ready, she wasn’t quite strong enough to do all this just yet, but at the same time she couldn’t just post-pone something so major. Ryuu’s shoulders slumped and she slowly started to put her clothes back on before slowly re-emerging from the dressing room, paper in hand and something of a rather lost look in her downcast eyes. She wasn’t sure of things anymore, she wasn’t sure how to move ahead and charging forwards seemed like it was only going to make her stumble and fall again. Ryuu pulled herself out of it the best she could and quickly locate her mom, talking to Sorcha, and Niccy was sulking somewhere not too far off from her. Ryuu eventually approached the two of them and offered the paper with her measurements on it, maybe they could make more sense of it then Ryuu could.
Ryuu gathered her thoughts for a moment while her mom and Sorcha looked over her measurements and seemed to set out to find or replace the things that were already picked out for her. Picked out… it almost felt like she didn’t have any control in her life anymore… was it really right to have everyone do everything for her? Was it right to rely on others in this way? She may not have any control over what happened to her, or the outcome of what she was now, but maybe if she started to take just a little more control back at a time… she could gain a sense of some sort of independence and sense of self again. Who was Ryuu? Why was she Ryuu… and what made her Ryuu… It was the start of a new life for her, everything was in her grasp so should she redefine herself or simply alter the mantle to which she was already given? It was so hard to say… but maybe Uncle Vidor was right… maybe she didn’t have to figure this stuff out right away, Maybe she could just… learn as she went, like when she was growing up. She knew some stuff that she didn’t like already, some things she didn’t want to be seen as. So she could go from there, right. The first thing that she knew she didn’t want to be seen as… was weak and unreliable. She didn’t want to seem as though she needed others to do everything for her or that she was lazy or incompetent at what she was doing or who she was as a person.
Ryuu picked her chin up and looked around… admittedly she felt like a bit of pervert for being in here, but the assistant didn’t seem to mind her presence here, and nobody was really giving her a second look. Ryuu may not have any idea what rumours were floating around sense her self-imposed exile to her room but they didn’t have to let whatever negative rumors be true and define who she was. She had a vision for her kingdom, one that would bring it further into a glorious reign, there was no need to be intimidated by a specialty store.
Ryuu started to look around, still while her mom and Sorcha were distracted with replacing things and Niccy was off pouting or perhaps picking out a few things for herself. Slowly, she started to get a little more comfortable and her eyes were wandering more into section with the more… expensive tastes. Silks and Satins seemed to be on her pallet, touches of lace though nothing too over bearing seemed to catch her eye and soon graced her arm in a ‘to buy’ pile. The colours, though naturally feminine, were more crisp and bold. Strong, deep reds, Royal blues and vibrant Purples started to grace her arm. Some corsets and various styles of bras were added to her growing collection. Ryuu’s style seemed sexy and elegant without being too trashy or smutty, there was a balance that needed to be struck, in her mind, and a woman and future Queen needed to be both.
She just hoped that nobody in her immediate circle of friends passed judgement on her for this…
After she pulled a respectable selection for herself, she once more approached the slim red head who helped her out before.
”Excuse me, may I try a few of these on to make sure they fit me right?” Ryuu assumed that it was going to be fine, though it never hurt to be polite and ask first. Having never been in one of these shops before, she wasn’t sure what sort of rules or regulations they had going here.
”I think that is a very wise idea your Majesty, and I agree fully. I think it would be fair to say that we should let her grow into her own style. All us girls had the chance to do that… at least in one point in our lives… I think that we should allow Ryuu to choose her own styles. Though judging by how uncomfortable she was coming in here, it may take a while for her to get comfortable enough to try the more… girly… aspects of the wardrobe.” Sorcha continued to chat with the Queen while Ryuu was getting her measurements, it was small talk, really, but something to pass the time. When she finally did come out and present the measurements to them, Sorcha was far too curious about the numbers to see the look on the Princess’ face. Sorcha’s eyes narrowed slightly before widening in surprise, pulling Ana’s arm closer to her so that she could read them a little closer. Was this right?! A-are you serious?! No way…” She gave a look up to Ana, a mix of disbelief, amusement and just a touch of jealously. ”W-well it looks like we have some adjustments to make… Sorcha then disappeared to trade in various sizes and replace them with ones that were more in Ryuu’s size. After a while though, she found that Ryuu was starting to get a little more confident in being in here and talking a look for herself, browsing and selecting her chosen style (which admittedly was a little more feminine than what Sorcha would have guessed her tastes in) and place them on her arm. Sorcha decided to hang back, letting the former Prince slowly build up her confidence and comfort being in here. A lot of what Ryuu had picked out rather surprised her, but as she had told her when she pulled her out of the carriage, it was a Lady’s need to choose for herself. When Ryuu approached the Sales lady once more, Sorcha gave Ana a gentle push towards her newest daughter with a smile and a wink, Ryuu would probably need some help with some of those items she had.
Sorcha then turned her attention to Niccy, who had been fairly aloof this whole time. She came up behind her with a touch of a smile on her face. Nicolette had not been her usual perky self, not sense she joined up with them to go shopping.
”Did you perhaps find something that catches your fancy, your Majesty?”
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Posted: Thu Jul 03, 2014 6:34 pm
At Sorcha's prodding, Ana followed after Ryuu and met her in the changing room. She, like Sorcha, was rather surprised at Ryuu's selection. She didn't particularly care for some of the things, but it wasn't as if Ryuu would be courting Prince's just yet so she had the comfort of no one seeing them. She supposed Ryuu had the right to wear what she thought would make her feel pretty.
"Ryuu hun. I'm here if you need help." Ana said from the other side of the changing room door. Women's undergarments could be complicated at the best of times. Probably why in the throws of passion man would rather just tear and rip rather then deal with all the lacing and eyes and hooks.
Nicolette had wandered off on her own, looking at all sorts of different things. She had a couple things over her arm, not much. When Sorcha came over to her, Nicolette was looking at a absolutely stunning night gown made of sheer lace. She never owned anything like that. Only being 15, most of her things were girl like. But she was getting older and her tastes were changing. Still...she couldn't imagine her mother letting her have it.
When she heard Sorcha, Nicolette promptly dropped her hand from the delicate lace and pretended to be looking at something more...appropriate for her age. She hoped she wasn't blushing, though she could feel a warmth in her cheeks. "N-no not particularly. I found something for Orpheus though. More as a joke, but he probably would wear them." Nicolette showed Sorcha a few pairs of silk panties of colorful and wild prints. "It seems like he's always trying to hide the hems of his boxers in the Valkyrie uniform. I thought this might...help him out."
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Posted: Thu Jul 03, 2014 7:09 pm
Ryuu paused when she heard her mom approach and offer her help, she peeked around the curtain, having not undressed yet, spare her vest, so she was feeling rather safe. ”Sure, actually, I wouldn’t mind some expert opinions of how this stuff fit. I’m not sure what I’m feeling for, really…”
Once her mom was in, she undid the buttons on her borrowed blouse and started to try on some of the bras that she had picked out, the measurements seemed right, from what she remembered. For the most part, Ryuu seemed to be okay with her basic bras, it was the corsets that she would have the most trouble with. Ryuu watched herself in the mirror as her mom helped her with the corset, she continuously stared into the eyes of the reflection before her, previous thoughts and questions bubbled into her mind once more. The silence was broken with some soft conversation from Ryuu. ”Hey… mom? If… I was born a girl, what would you have called me?” She let the answer hang in the air for a while, continuously staring at herself in the mirror as if sizing herself up. ”I like the name Ryuu, I honestly do… its just… it doesn’t fit me anymore. Look at me, I’m in a changing room trying on a corset for Goddess sakes. Ryuu is a name that I’ve long associated with strength and masculinity. In a way… it kind of hurts to hear it used with the female pronouns and titles that I’m now associated with. I also… feel kind of trapped by it, I’m in a vulnerable position right now where I don’t know who I am anymore or where I’m going. Maybe, if I have a clean, fresh name, then I can figure these things out without the past coming to haunt me or me feeling stifled by the reputation that I build around myself with the name that I currently have.” Ryuu’s face softened somewhat and she looked over her shoulder at her mom. ”Maybe… a fresh start will be good for me?”
When was the last time that Ryuu opened up like this to her mom? She had always kept things inside, locked away very carefully and in tight control. Now, she was opening up a little bit with her thoughts and worries. She didn’t know if it was an improvement or not, she did rather like being mysterious, but… maybe it was time to do something different? Maybe letting people in every now and then wouldn’t be so bad afterall.
Sorcha smile, closing her eyes and lowering her head slightly. ”I’m sure Orpheus would get the joke, though I suspect that even he has his limits and lines that he wouldn’t cross. But I’m sure he would find a way to amuse you… he certain is a different make, that boy.” Sorcha had to admit that she was warming up to Orpheus and his rather… nutball… personality. He was probably the best thing to come to the Valkyries in a long time, even the other girl were slowly starting to warm up to him, those who had brothers seemed to adopt him far quicker than those who had not, or had some pretty scaring experiences with them. She once more turned back to Niccy. ”I can’t say as though he would appreciate the sheer nightgown that you were eyeing up though… and it probably wasn’t Orpheus you had that in mind for. Looking to expand your tastes, Princess?” The question was genuine, not in a mocking way or anything condescending. Sorcha was there, she grew out of the cute things and started to slowly see herself as a woman at one point too, so she knew what Niccy was struggling with.
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Posted: Thu Jul 03, 2014 7:44 pm
Ana slipped into the changing room and was helping Ryuu with the series of lacings when the question came up. A memory came back to Ana then. A very clear memory, sitting by the fire with Haku and talking about what she might name her child. "Ryuu means dragon. It is a strong name. And you bore it well. But….I think your right. It's a new time in your life and you do deserve a fresh start. There is little point in clinging to the past." She murmured knowingly. She was just finishing helping Ryuu with a corset when she finally answered her, "Umbra. I would have named you Umbra. It means shade. I knew, even then that you were a child of darkness. I could feel the shadows gather around you in the womb. And Vidor recognized the signs. So….Umbra, princess of shadows."
Nicolette giggled very softly. "He certainly does. But he's a sweetheart. The kind of person who could be everyone's brother if you let him." Some of the girls seemed to be taking to him now that he's been in the Valkyries for a while. Though there were still several who kept their distance.
At the mention of the nightgown, Nicolette defiantly blushed. "O-oh no it's not for Orpheus." She stammered. "It's….well…..I thought it was really pretty is all. And it's not like anyone would ever see it. Aside from my lady's maid." Nicolette realized she was probably speaking too fast. But Sorcha sounded understanding. "I'm not sure Mama would let me have it though. It's awfully….grown up for a girl of 15. In her eyes I imagine anyway. Maybe...in a year or two…." There was tinge of disappointment in Nicolette's voice, though she did her best to cover it.
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Posted: Thu Jul 03, 2014 10:22 pm
Ryuu grunted softly a few times as her mother tightened her corset, man… did girl really wear this stuff? It was rather hard to breathe in… though it did make for a nice view. She was sure that Tobi would appreciate it when he saw her in it, it could be hot on summer days and now that Ryuu couldn’t take off her shirt… well… she was just going to have to find other ways to keep cool. Ryuu listened to what his mom had to say and gave something of a weak, though defeated smile. So, her name meant Dragon, huh? She didn’t know if it was ironic or destined that things happened as they did, and her best friend was a dragon, or at least half dragon. Though she was happy that her mom at least agreed with her in the fresh start, and having her say that she deserved such a start brought some heaviness of Ryuu’s shoulders. There seemed to be a beat of silence while things were finishing up. Ryuu was going to have to learn to breathe through her chest and not her stomach with this thing on, not that she planned to wear this thing all that often.
”Umbra, huh?” Ryuu… no… Ryuu didn’t fit her anymore, and Umbra was going to be just as good a name as any. It seemed appropriate too all things considering. ”Alright then, from now on, I shall take the name of Umbra… I have to admit, it does have an interesting flow to it… and it’s pretty appropriate I must say.” Umbra looked at herself in the mirror before closing her eyes and taking a deep breath, so much change in so little time, she felt sorry for the maid and everyone else who were going to be struggling to keep up with all of this. Her face dropped though and she turned to her mom. ”I’m sorry… I feel like… I’ve let you down in some way. I failed my quest in obtaining all the ingredients and only Niccy was saved because of it. I feel like I robbed you of your son, your pride and joy. I failed on my first mission when you succeeded saving the King. I must be… such an embarrassment to you.” Umbra hung her head, it was hard to move past such failures, but she might as well get them out of her way now so that she could pass them by at first opportunity. If she could clean the air a little bit more, then she could probably truly have a fresh start, all things considering. Still, it was one of the things that Umbra was now regretting most, something that hurt her a little more than she would have initially though, and that was to disappoint or let her mom down in some way. She wasn’t too close to the King, so her mom was pretty well a parent and a half for her. She wanted to make her proud, but when she first got the opportunity to do so, she seemed to stumble and fall short, not exactly what she was hoping for when it came to making her mom proud.
”Yes, I am starting to see that Orpheus is very much a brotherly persona. He’s been good for the girls and I’m actually rather glad that he’s joined us.” Sorcha offered Nicolette a rather sympathetic look. ”Yes, I suppose that all mothers are a little hesitant to see their children grow up into adults.” Not that Sorcha actually had firsthand experience with that, but that was neither here nor there. Sorcha looked over at Nicolette. ”Well, the Queen’s off helping Ryuu now, so why don’t go get it, and I’ll carry it around for you so that she doesn’t think anything of it other than I ended up getting something for myself. If all else fails, I’ll bring it to your room when it’s convenient, how does that sound, Princess?” It was the best that Sorcha could offer right now. Nicolette would know her size so they could do this more secretly then if they were to go behind Ana’s back some other time where they would more than likely get caught. ”Hurry and make your purchase now, Princess, before your mom is finished with the eldest.”
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Posted: Sat Jul 05, 2014 5:25 pm
Slowly, Ana opened her arms and embraced her daughter. "You didn't fail. You did get the ingredients. And you did make the potion. But you had no way of knowing that the unicorn horn wouldn't have enough yeild. And so you did what you had to. You made a sacrifice that you believed was for the greater good. And I could not be more proud of you for that." Ana said very softly. "Do not think for a moment that my quest was without it's troubles. I brought Thomas back once, only to have the council put a price on my head and have to run back out the door again. I think….I felt then much the way you felt when you realized there was only one potion. You knew there was a choice to make. And you made it. And when those sorts of choices come to you...it's not a matter of success or failure. It's a matter of doing what you believe to be right."
~~~
Nicolette didn't know how to react at first. Her eyes were wide, as if daring Sorcha to take it back. "Y-you would really do that for me?" A smile started to tug at her lips, and soon Nicolette jumped and hugged Sorcha as tight as she could. "Oh thank you Sorcha! I owe you a debt for this." The princess exclaimed happily. Quickly she remembered herself and let Sorcha go. A faint blush on her cheeks, Nicolette smoothed the skirt of her dress. "I'll go do just that then. Keep a watch out for Mama will you?"
Nicolette snatched up the nightgown, and hurried off to the checkout. The pretty red haired girl seemed to know what Nicolette was up to and gave the princess a discrete wink. Either that, or she had other suspicions for the night gown. Either way, Nicolette handed over her coins with her eyes fixed on the floor, unable to stop blushing. Ooooh it just felt so sinful. And yet a little exciting. The red haired girl wrapped the gown and the things for Orpheus up in tissue paper and put it in a bag. Nicolette thanked her and all but ran back over to Sorcha, handing her the small bag. "Thank you. Thank you thank you thank you."
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