Samhain came sooner than I thought. The rest of the week leading up to today, I had been in a daze, though this time, it wasn't about the stress of my family falling apart. It was love's daze. Even Lala had noticed it at lunch on Alban Heruin, the very day after Cinnamon had asked me out.
"You seem to be in a good mood," Lala commented as I sat down at our usual lunch table.
"Oh? Yeah..." I trailed off, my eyes slowly scanning the room for Cinnamon.
Lala giggled then leaned in closer, whispering in my ear, "It's Cinnamon, isn't it?"
I felt myself blush and I nodded my head. Lala clapped her hands together in delight, "That's so cute!"
"We're supposed to go on a date this Samhain, though I have no idea where we're going."
"Wherever it is, I'm sure it's going to be great!"
We quickly clammed up as everyone else trickled through the doors and to the table. Cinnamon sat next to me, and halfway through lunch, his hand found mine and started tracing circles on the back of my hand. My heart beat quickly and I boldly grabbed for his hand, holding it under the table. He never let go through the rest of our lunch break.
This Samhain morning, I had received a letter from Cinnamon who said that he would come at around 5:30 with a carriage to take us to our destination. After waiting several agonizing hours, unable to sit still or concentrate on my book, it was finally time to get ready. I took a luxurious bath, scented with roses and almond oil, making my skin glow and trailing the delicious scent as I walked. Afterward, I scanned the contents of my closet, trying to determine what to wear. I finally settled on my light green and pink Butterfly Dress, pairing it with the matching light green butterfly boots, a pink bracelet, and a pink shawl to wrap around my shoulders, in case it was just as cold inside, wherever I was going. I brushed my olive colored hair away from my face, made a thick braid, then fastened the end of the braid with a light green ribbon. I looked at myself in the mirror and smiled. I was ready to go.
At 5:30, Cinnamon knocked at the door. I grabbed a purse and stuffed my keys, tissues and a small gold pouch into it, then ran out of my room, gliding downstairs and opening the door.
Cinnamon stood on the porch, his auburn hair made even more magnificent against the setting sun. He smiled as I came out, "Afternoon, Yokka. You look beautiful!"
"Thanks!" I beamed at him and closed the door behind me. Thankfully, my parents had gone out earlier, and Joy and Kenomi were with their respective boyfriends. There would be no 21 questions with Cinnamon, at least for now.
"Pink and green is a really good color scheme for you," Cinnamon said.
"The same way green and white is good for you," I replied, pointing to his outfit. Whether it was a coincidence or not, I was secretly delighted that Cinnamon and I were matching. His outfit was the Butterfly Suit, the perfect match for my dress. He had even donned the top hat, complete with fake, curling butterfly feelers. "How'd you know to match my outfit?"
"I didn't," he said, "But that is a nice coincidence! This just so happened to be one of the nicest suits I owned, so I figured I would wear it for tonight."
"It looks good on you," I remarked, reaching for his hand. He smiled and twined his fingers with mine.
He led me to a large white carriage where the driver was already waiting. The driver smiled and bowed while opening the door to me and holding out his hand while I stepped inside. The inside of the carriage was also white and had lovely pink seats; the cushions were soft. After we settled inside and the door was closed, the driver clucked at the horses and we were off.
"So where are we headed to?" I asked.
Cinnamon smiled wide, his eyes twinkling, "To Emain Macha! We're going to a place that's out of this world! Literally."
His enthusiasm was contagious, but I also became more curious. I pestered him with questions all the way there until we finally came to a stop near the western moongate of Emain. In front of us were several more carriages, and people.
The driver hopped down from his seat and opened the door for us, holding out his hand once more for me to take, "This is as far as I can go."
"That's fine," Cinnamon said, hopping out of the carriage after me, "Please wait for us here. It should probably take about two hours."
The driver nodded and tipped his hat, then hopped back into his seat and clucked at the horses again. They turned around, heading back on the path that led to the western entrance of Emain.
"Okay Cinna-kun, why are we here?" I asked, looking around, "Is this where we are supposed to be? It's not really out of this world."
"No, we have to wait our turn, but you should watch the people before us," he replied.
We walked to the back of the line and I craned my neck to look towards the front. There were so many people in front of us, all of them laughing and talking, some of them holding hands and kissing. They were all dressed as exquisitely as I was, some even more so. I watched closely as the next couple approached another gentleman wearing a butler suit and a pair of round glasses. The couple held their hands and moved closer together as the butler held out a feather, glowing an otherworldly blue. He stooped down and in the grass, drew a circle around the couple's feet. Suddenly, the circle glowed yellow and shone brightly, the couple was enveloped in the light before slowly disappearing before everyone's eyes.
I gasped loudly, causing a few people to turn in my direction, "I've never seen anything like that!"
"First time going to Avon?" a human lady in front of me said. She was wearing an opera outfit, complete with full headdress, shoes, and heavily painted face. Her pure red lips turned up at the corners in a gentle smile.
"Avon? What's that?" I asked her.
"A city that used to be home to the Partholons, before they angered the gods and contracted the plague. Now it exists in a dimension outside of our own. The only way to get there is through a special feather, only gifted to those that Marlowe trusts."
"Who's Marlowe?" I asked, starting to become more confused.
"The gatekeeper of Avon, and an amazing actor! Of course, all the people you see up on stage are amazing actors, but he's one of the very best! He doesn't do much acting lately, but oh gods..." The lady let out a wistful sigh, her gaze turning to the setting sun, "When he came onto the stage, he practically breathed life itself into the character he was playing as. You were instantly transported. You felt his happiness, his pain, his...everything!"
"But he no longer acts?"
"Unfortunately not. After he was assigned gatekeeper by the gods, he stopped acting. He helps other actors learn their parts, but it just isn't the same."
"Does he write these plays too?" I asked, my eyes wide with fascination.
"Oh! No no, he doesn't write any of the plays. These were all written by Shakespeare."
I tilted my head, even more confused, but Cinnamon put a gentle hand on my arm, "Shakespeare was a writer, that's all you need to know. His history and involvement in Avon and with the gods is too long and complicated to tell you. But he left behind his plays for us to enjoy, and we should!"
My curiosity was even more piqued, but I decided to drop the subject, "So we're going to see a play after all?" I asked Cinnamon.
"Yep! I wanted to keep it a secret where we were going, so I could surprise you a bit. I didn't expect that you didn't know what Avon was. Or who Marlowe is, though."
"I've never heard of them. Not even from my parents," I replied, drawing my shawl tighter around myself as a sudden cold wind blew through the area.
"My dear girl, you are in for a treat tonight!" the woman said, winking at me.
In the time we had been talking, we had gotten to the front of the line. The woman stepped forward, the butler drew the circle, and disappeared.
"Next!" the butler called.
"That's William. He's one of the few people who hold the feather that transports you to Avon. He only comes out to do this when Marlowe announces a new play is ready to be viewed," Cinnamon whispered to me.
We both stepped forward and I smiled at William, "It's my first time going to Avon."
William smiled at me then went to draw the circle, "Then some advice, love, close your eyes when you see the light. Just a precaution, in case you're prone to motion sickness."
"Noted," I replied, closing my eyes tightly as he finished the circle.
The cold outside air of Emain Macha disappeared, and I felt my stomach lurch, as though I was riding Ichiaki and he had jumped over a fallen log on the path. The feeling persisted for a while longer until my stomach settled.
"You can open your eyes now," Cinnamon whispered in my ear.
Chills ran up and down my spine from his voice and I slowly opened my eyes. I gasped again, even louder as my eyes scanned my new environment. We were standing on an elaborate balcony-like platform, there was water surrounding us on all sides. Behind us was a walkway that extended further down and to an area where some people were fishing. In front of us was a banister and small stairways that sloped down into the water. On the left side, the water was dark, as though it was tainted with too much mud. Despite this, I could clearly see the bottom, where fishes swam and butterflies skimmed the surface. To the right, the staircase led to water that was blue in color, but not quite the same blue as a river or ocean. There were more fishes and butterflies, and to my surprise, sheep. It took me a second longer to realize that the sheep, butterflies and fish were all made of paper!
In front of the banister was a pedestal, where a sword stood, engulfed in soft flames. Beyond the sword was what I presumed to be the theater. The building was enormous, with a domed ceiling. A large line had already formed at the entrance, all the way to the stairs at the far right on the light side of Avon, towards the back of the theater. The air was completely still, there wasn't a wind to be felt, and the temperature was neither hot nor cold.
I was completely in awe, "This place," I whispered, "Is so beautiful!"
"I think so too," said a deep voice behind us.
We quickly turned around and came face-to-face with a human man, his eyes peeking out from a white mask that covered the top half of his face and came to a point where his nose would be. A scarlet cloak covered his shoulders, the hood of which covered his slightly shaggy brown hair. He wore a long-sleeved white button down shirt, with frills around the collar, and trailing along the buttons, with the sleeves loose and flowing outward, black dress pants and black dress shoes.
He took in my awed expression with bemusement, "Welcome to Avon. I am Marlowe, gatekeeper, theater manager and play organizer. I'm guessing this is your first time?"
I could only nod my head, "Then please, enjoy your stay! And I hope you also enjoy the play. My actors worked really hard on it."
"I'm looking forward to it!" I replied with a large smile.
Marlowe handed Cinnamon and I our tickets while Cinnamon handed Marlowe a small pouch of gold. Marlowe bowed low and stepped back again while Cinnamon and I made our way down the staircase leading to the light side and to the quickly growing line. Glancing behind me, I saw the glowing light once more as another person transported into Avon in the exact same spot that Cinnamon and I arrived at. Marlowe went to greet the person again, and the process repeated.
"This is amazing," I said, glancing down at the light-side water we were standing in. Despite it acting, looking, and feeling like water, the second I lifted up my boot and went to feel it, it felt completely dry, as if it was never submerged in water in the first place. The water was so shallow that it only came up to my ankles. How the fish managed to swim happily in it was beyond my comprehension, but then again, so was having the fish made entirely of paper and not disintegrating.
"I know, right?" the same woman who had stood in front of us in line back in Emain said, "When I first came here, I was just as amazed as you are right now. Hell, I still am, and I've been here quite a few times. I try to never miss a play!"
"What play is being shown today?" I asked her.
"Merchant of Venice. It's only been shown once before. I think you'll really like it!"
After waiting several more minutes, the doors to the theater, which I learned was called the Globe Theater (go figure), opened. The line started to inch forward, my heart beat quicker in anticipation of what I was about to see. The woman in front of me squealed happily and unfolded a pair of opera viewing binoculars, holding them in front of her with one hand while clutching her ticket with the other.
At the front of the line, our tickets were ripped by a woman with long flowing grayish hair, wearing a rounded yellow top hat with a white feather stuck in it, a long-sleeved white and gray button down shirt with gray cuffs, a short orange shawl, and the same pants and shoes as Marlowe. She handed back our ripped tickets and winked behind her more elaborately designed white mask that covered the top half of her face.
"Lanier, top actor like Marlowe and co-manager and play organizer," Cinnamon said to me while leading me inside the theater, "She's not a gatekeeper though. But she used to be a soldier."
The air inside the theater was cooler, but not too cold. We walked down the long hallway and arrived at the doors that were already open to reveal row upon row of seating. All the chairs were large enough to accommodate even the largest giant, with additional seating upstairs. There were also private viewing areas upstairs, where I could already see some incredibly rich people sitting in the chairs, opera viewing binoculars staring down at the rest of us. If I had known that we were going to see a play, I might have suggested helping Cinnamon to buy the tickets, paying extra for VIP service.
We found our seats, thankfully towards the middle rows of chairs in the right section of the theater. The seats filled up quickly, and before I knew it the lights dimmed, the talking died down, and a spotlight shone on the narrator, walking out onto the stage.
Cinnamon reached for my hand and squeezed it, "It's show time!"
The play was magnificent. It was hard to put into words, but I loved every second of it. I laughed, and gasped and sat forward in my chair, my eyes glued to the stage as I waited to find out if Portia and Bassanio would get their happily-ever-after, and if Antonio was going to make it out okay. At the end, I sat still in my chair as the theater emptied out, my mind still whirring as I took in all that I had seen. Cinnamon merely smiled and squeezed my hand.
We were transported back to Emain by Marlowe, who seeing my stunned expression, offered a small chuckle. I promised myself that I would return, either with someone else, with Cinnamon, or alone, to see another play. I vowed to never miss another one of these fantastic plays.
Back in Emain, the sun had already set and the sky twinkled with stars. Eweca and Ladeca were out, not yet quite high in the sky. The carriage we arrived in was awaiting us, and after climbing in, we went to Loch Lios, Emain Macha's best open air restaurant, right by the lake. Cinnamon had made reservations and we were led to a table closer to the kitchen where the chefs, Gordon and Fraser, were cooking up food in full view of the restaurant-goers. The waitresses, Shena and Cecelia were running to-and-fro. I was grateful that we were seated so close to the kitchen, the flames from the oven kept us warm against the cold night air.
After we were served our meal, butter grilled reef lobster for Cinnamon and curry roasted black sea bream for myself, we treated ourselves to a large slice of cheesecake.
"You know," Cinnamon started, slicing another piece of cheesecake with his fork, "It just occurred to me that you're a lot like Portia, Yokka."
"How so?" I asked, taking my last bite of cheesecake and setting my fork down on my plate. I was stuffed.
"In the play, Portia was very wise. Remember how she honored her late father's wishes by having her suitors choose from the gold, silver or lead boxes? She could've broken that promise, but she didn't, because she knew it was a good tactic to use in making sure her suitor would love her for her, and not for her money."
I nodded my head, "I'm glad Bassanio chose right."
"Me too," Cinnamon replied with a smile, "But anyway, when Antonio got into trouble with Shylock when he couldn't repay his debt, and Bassanio had to leave her even though they just got married, she didn't sit back and let things happen. She went out of her way to help, even if it may have been inconvenient for her. She went to the trial in disguise and saved Antonio from a likely bloody death. Portia was knowledgeable about the law, and kind, and merciful."
"And that reminded you of me?" I asked, feeling flattered.
"Yeah, you're all of those things too Yokka," he replied, "You're smart, you know a lot about this world we all live in. You're kind, even when people aren't kind to you or if they're complete strangers to you, even to giants! And you're merciful, even to those whom I think deserve it the least."
"Like those giants who attacked me?" I whispered, looking down.
Cinnamon nodded, "Even them."
"That's so kind of you to stay Cinna-kun," I said, feeling my face grow hot again.
Cinnamon leaned forward over the table, getting as close as he could to my face, "That's because it's all true."
He paid for the meal and we got back into the carriage and headed to my house. Back in Sen Mag, the streets were quiet and most of the houses had their lights out, except mine.
"My parents must be home," I muttered.
After the carriage stopped and we got out, Cinnamon took my hands in his again, "I had a great time tonight, Yokka."
I blushed again, "I did too. Avon was amazing and the play was incredible! We have to do this again."
The curtains in the front window parted and my parents' faces shone out. Mom had a huge smile on her face as she looked back and forth between Cinnamon and I, while my dad turned his head, a scowl on his features.
"I think I should head inside now," I said, slightly embarrassed by my parents' antics.
"Yeah, probably," Cinnamon said, slowly letting go of my hands.
Suddenly, I grabbed his hands back, pulling him close to me and kissing him on his lips. Cinnamon tensed up in shock, but quickly relaxed, his hands resting on my waist as he drew me closer. I could taste the sweetness of the cheesecake on his soft lips, and the slight smell of the lake from Emain on his clothes.
I pulled away, smiling as I rested my forehead against his. Cinnamon smiled back as he stared into my eyes. I heard a knock at the window and I turned my head to see my dad, his frown even deeper as he pointed toward the door. I rolled my eyes, "I guess I should go for real, now. See you later Cinna-kun."
I let go of him and went through the door, "I'll write to you later," Cinnamon said as I closed the door.
Inside the house it was toasty warm from the fireplace. I shed my shawl and faced my parents, "Hey mom, hey dad. When did you get back?"
"About an hour ago!" mom said, bouncing slightly on her heels, "Yokka, mija, who was that? Your boyfriend?"
I smiled sheepishly, "Yeah, his name's Cinnamon."
My dad scoffed, "Tell him to keep his hands, and lips, off of you."
My mom rolled her eyes, "Oh Zero, quit being such a...father!"
"What? It's my job!" he replied.
"Now you sound just like my father!"
"I do not!"
"Well I'm gonna head to bed," I said, slowly backing away toward the staircase. There was a high probability that their arguing would evolve into some make-up sex, and I didn't want to be a front row participant.
Normally, I would sleep in for a while on Imbolic, but today, I was woken up close to the afternoon by my mom.
"Wake up, mija, we gotta help Jenny set up the cafe in Tara."
"Why?" I groaned, throwing an arm over my eyes, "I don't even work there anymore."
"Maybe not, but we still have to help out. It's a family, and guild, thing."
So I quickly dressed and headed out with mom and dad, all of us mounting our own horses as we galloped over to Tara. By the time we arrived, it was one o'clock and the streets were crowded with people.
Nearby Tara's town square, the busiest place in the whole city, was Aunt Jenny, Stealthy and Manzana, standing next to stacks of tables, chairs, cutlery and china, buckets of paint and other pieces of furniture.
"About time you three got here!" Aunt Jenny huffed, "Where are the other munchkins?"
"Gone when we woke up," mom replied, dismounting her horse and leading it to the trough filled with water, "They probably knew what was going to happen if they came here."
"Well whatever," Aunt Jenny said, dangling a key between her fingers, "The rest of the guild is coming soon to help. We want to open this cafe as soon as possible, so we gotta work overtime! First let's get the paint on, then we can move in furniture and all the other stuff."
Several hours later, as the sun started to set, the cafe was looking to be in good shape. The door to the cafe was let open for the paint to dry and the tables and chairs were moved inside. The place was swept, mopped and thoroughly cleaned, and plates, cutlery, pots, pans were inside the kitchen. Aunt Jenny's office was decorated and the furniture moved in, and the outside awning of the cafe and the podium were set up.
"Good work everyone!" Aunt Jenny said, wiping her forehead with the back of her hand. Her clothes were splattered in paint, and some had even gotten on her face.
"Was that a genuine compliment I heard?" mom asked, coming out of the cafe.
Aunt Jenny shrugged, "Well if it weren't for your guys' help, we wouldn't have been able to set up so fast. This cafe looks ready to go, but we have to wait for the food delivery tomorrow. I think by Beltane, we should have this place ready to go. Hopefully the paint fully dries by then."
"With this cold weather? It definitely will," dad said, tying the string on another bag of trash.
I was cleaning the windows, one that looked over the square, and another to the right of the cafe that looked out onto the patio, where there was outside seating. A heater stood in the middle of the cluster of tables, and holes were in the middle of the tables that would hold umbrellas to make the heat less intense in the summer. Though I was cleaning, my mind was far away. I kept replaying last night in my head, all leading up to that wonderful kiss at the end. My face started to get hot as I suddenly realized that I wanted to kiss Cinnamon again and again.
"Gold piece for your thoughts, Yokka?" Aunt Jenny said, coming to stand next to me.
I snapped out of my daydream and looked at her, "H-huh?"
"You have that wistful look on your face. I know that all too well," she said.
I sighed and stopped cleaning the window overlooking the patio, it was clean enough anyway, "I went on my first date last night. I can't stop thinking about all that happened, it was wonderful."
Aunt Jenny nodded her head, "Oh, I understand the feeling."
I looked back at her, surprised, "You do?"
"Oh yeah!" She slung her arm around me and leaned in closer, "You didn't think I was head over heels for Stealthy and Manzana? Well, maybe more so for Stealthy."
"Why? What happened? How'd you meet?" I asked. I didn't know why I never asked before. I guess I had always assumed that Stealthy and Manzana were suddenly found by Aunt Jenny and they followed her around ever since, not entirely in a relationship.
"Ah, it all started back in high school," Aunt Jenny said, pulling out a nearby chair and sitting in it. I sat opposite her, clutching the cleaning rag in my hand, "It was after my brother met Jad, that troublemaker."
I remember my mom confessing that she was a bit of a troublemaker in high school, and that she and Aunt Jenny were absolute enemies. Technically, they still were, but maybe their rivalry was no longer as intense.
"I was called by the Shadow Expeditionary Force in Tara to complete a hard mission in the Corrib Valley Shadow Realm. I was assigned with a partner, something that I've never had happen before. It was Stealthy." Aunt Jenny sighed and put her face in her hands, "Stealthy was incredibly handsome, and dismissive of me. He thought I wouldn't be able to pull my own weight. Even said so himself! So we went inside the Shadow Realm and I went crazy in there, slashing and slicing with my sword. I didn't hold back at all. We eventually found the Dark Commander and I took him down. Stealthy was in awe, and right then and there, he asked to be my boyfriend."
"Stop telling lies!" Stealthy said, coming in to stand behind Aunt Jenny's chair, "I most certainly did not ask you to be my girlfriend after we killed that Dark Commander. As a matter of fact, I believe I said something along the lines of you being batshit crazy."
"But you did eventually ask," Aunt Jenny replied, batting her eyelashes at him.
"Yeah, but you were the one who chased me. And also, you almost got me killed in that mission."
Aunt Jenny waved her hand in the air, "Details details, don't bore Yokka, it doesn't matter."
Stealthy turned to me, "Jenny tried to go ham against the Dark Commander, but with enemies like that, you gotta play smarter. She ended up almost dying herself, so I had to put in most of the work. We made it though, and I offered to patch her up instead of her paying money to go to the healer's house. She started chasing after me ever since. Or, rather, she pulled me along on crazy adventures without my input."
"I see..." I trailed off, it was the only thing I could say. Even back in high school, Aunt Jenny was pulling people along to do crazy things, "So what about Manzana?"
"Oh her, well, I met her at a party, we got drunk, fooled around, and I decided to keep her around."
Wow, Aunt Jenny really went at her own pace in high school. Nothing much had changed since then, other than her somehow getting into a position of great power at a school.
"Nee-san!" dad shouted from outside the cafe, "Someone from the Erinn Times wants to interview you about the cafe!"
"Coming!" Aunt Jenny shouted back, getting up, "Well, I think we're done here, so you can go home if you want Yokka."
Aunt Jenny left and Stealthy sat in her now vacated chair. It felt good to have a moment, a normal moment, with Aunt Jenny. It also felt good to not get groped. But something was still bugging me...
"Hey, Stealthy?"
"Hm?"
"You seem to be annoyed by Aunt Jenny a lot, and, I was wondering, why do you still date her?"
Stealthy tipped his chair back and stared at the ceiling. He stayed silent for a while before finally speaking, "She keeps my life...interesting. Sure, she's crazy, and she can be annoying, but she's also adventurous, she isn't afraid to try new things or do something stupid, just so she can know what happens and move on. I guess in a way, I admire that part about her; she's brave. Plus, admittedly, the sex is pretty good."
"I didn't need to hear that last part," I groaned. Still, though, I had no idea Stealthy felt that way about my aunt. If he felt that way, it made me wonder why Manzana decided to stick around too. Maybe one day, I would find out.
Cinnamon's POV
"And if you make a bet with Lileas about who's gonna win, and that person ends up winning, then you get a lot of gold!" Ax said, moving his hands excitedly.
"How much gold, exactly?" Kristen asked, narrowing her eyes.
"However much all the other people offered in their bet. The winners who bet on the person who won gets the prize money split."
I was in Tara, walking with Ax, Lala, Hasenoo, Kaitlyn, Kristen and Alicia towards the jousting arena. The tournament was about to begin and Ax had written to all of us, asking us to accompany him and Lala to the tournament tonight. I had been to a jousting tourny a couple times before, but didn't find it nearly as exciting. For one thing, it was almost a guarantee that an elf knight participating in the tourny would lose. After all, lances were heavy, and elves just didn't have the capacity to handle such a long, heavy weapon. On the other hand, giants were the best at this game. Betting on one almost always guaranteed a win, but it was a matter of which giant to bet on.
Last night's date with Yokkaichi was incredible, especially the way she suddenly kissed me at the end, despite me getting extremely nervous with her father watching. I had wanted to stay home, exchanging letters back and forth, but then I received Ax's invitation. Thinking Yokka would be here with us, I had accepted, but found that she hadn't even written Ax back. Chances are, she was away from home, doing something else, and therefore wouldn't be able to write letters back to me for some time.
"I find it hard to believe you've never been to a jousting tournament before," Ax continued, stretching his hands to the sky.
"I didn't have much reason to. I figured it wouldn't be much to look at. Plus, it's only in Tara. Kaitlyn and I live all the way in Dugald. We don't bother going so far for something other than school, and other school events."
"Understandable, but at least you get to watch today."
As we approached the square, the sudden smell of wet paint hit. We all started coughing and choking at the incredibly strong smell.
"Where is that coming from?" Elfie asked, pinching his nose and making his voice sound higher pitched.
The smell came from the open door of a cafe. I had never seen that place before near the square, "It's coming from that cafe. Must be new. Well, either that, or it was always there and they just put a new coat of paint," I said.
"Wait a sec! Is that Yokkaichi I see in there?" Lala asked, pointing towards the window.
Inside, Yokkaichi sat at a table, making a face at a black-haired man with his chair tipped backward and staring at the ceiling.
"It is her!" Alicia exclaimed, surging forward to tap on the window, "Hey! Yokka!"
Yokkaichi turned her head to look at the noise, then her eyes suddenly widened as she recognized Alicia. She quickly got out of her chair and exited the cafe, "Alicia? Hey! What are you doing here?"
"Yokka!" Lala shouted, going to hug Yokkaichi.
"And La? Is everyone here?"
We all surrounded Yokka and she smiled at every one of us. When her eyes landed on me, her smile widened and she rushed forward to hug me too, "What are you guys all doing here?"
"We're going to a jousting tournament," Ax explained, "Wanna come? Or are you busy?"
"Nah, not anymore. I'd love to come!" Yokkaichi replied.
We all started walking to the arena, and on the way Yokkaichi explained how her aunt was opening that cafe, apparently a cosplay cafe, this coming Beltane, and how she and her family and guild were helping her set up all afternoon.
"That explains why you didn't respond to my invitation," Ax said.
"Yeah, sorry about that," Yokkaichi said.
"Good thing we found you ourselves then!" Lala said as she skipped along, her hand swinging along with Ax's hand. Yokkaichi and I were also holding hands, and it didn't go unnoticed by Elfie and Hasenoo, who exchanged glances with each other.
We finally made it to the arena and managed to find seating in the crowded stands. In the front of the stands, Lileas was collecting money for bets, her brown eyes shone and her boy cut honey-colored hair ruffled gently in the cold breeze. Down below in the fenced in area, at either end of the long wooden fences within the area, the knights were getting ready by checking their lances and their horses.
"Today's Imbolic, so it's the finals. This means that the stakes are even higher, because everyone in that arena is really good. After all, they beat a lot of people in the preliminaries this past week to get here!" Ax said, his eyes fixed upon the scene before us. He suddenly stood up, "I'm gonna place my bet. Anyone else?"
Kristen held out a pouch of gold, "I'll put my bet on that purple-haired giant in lane three."
Alicia held out her own pouch, "Two for the purple-haired giant."
When no one else put in their bets, Ax headed down the stands and talked to Lileas who took the money and wrote down the information, then climbed back up and sat down again, "Now we wait and see!" he said, rubbing his hands together.
It was really a close match, but in the end, the purple-haired giant lost to an ice-blue-haired giant. Ax smirked, "See? Giants always win. Well...not always, but, you know."
Kristen and Alicia cursed as we all stood up and started to file out the arena. Clearly, they were pissed over the amount they had lost, but with betting it was bound to happen. Despite losing money, though, Ax was bouncing happily. It was odd to see him so lively, when at school he was seemingly distant.
"That was cool, huh?" Yokkaichi asked, turning to look at me.
"Yeah it was okay," I shrugged, "I'm not a big fan of jousting, but it was cool to hang out with everyone."
I glanced down at my fingers entwined in Yokkaichi's and smiled, then suddenly stopped walking, a realization hitting me. Yokkaichi looked back at me quizzically, "What's wrong, Cinna-kun?"
"I, uh, I need to talk to talk privately with, uh, Hasenoo, Kait, Elfie and Kristen real quick."
Yokkaichi looked even more confused but nodded her head and headed along. I called the four of them with me and we made our way back closer to one of the arena entrances, nearby the moongate.
"What's up?" Hasenoo asked, shuffling his feet, "Make it quick, it's cold outside."
"I won. This war is over."
Elfie narrowed his eyes, "The...war?"
"Have you guys forgotten? About the promise we made about finding out Yokkaichi's feelings. Well, it just struck me while we were leaving, that I've taken her on a date and kissed her and all, so, yeah, I won."
Elfie shrugged, "Yeah, you did. Congrats, I guess."
The feeling was pretty lackluster, but the fact that I was dating Yokkaichi made me feel warm. I had certainly fallen hard for her.
"It doesn't matter anyway," Elfie said, tying his scarf closer to his throat, "I have a new interest now. A new girl to pursue?"
"Ooh!" Kaitlyn said, rubbing her hands together, "And who, pray tell, is it?"
Elfie smiled, "Alicia."
We looked at him in shock and he shrugged again, "What? Girl's got spunk."
"What about you, Hasenoo?" Kaitlyn asked, turning to him.
"I'll never be able to fully get over Yokkaichi," Hasenoo admitted, pushing his hands into the pocket of his pants, "But, I've got my eye on someone..."
"Who is it?" Kaitlyn pressed.
Hasenoo merely smiled, "Well, thanks for the fun today guys, but I'm gonna head home."
He made his way to the moongate, holding up a hand in departure, and Kaitlyn pouted, "He never did say."
"You'll find out one day, Kait," Kristen said with a smirk.
We headed back to the others and Yokkaichi reached for my hand once more, her hand so warm and her smile blinding. I smiled back, squeezing her hand softly.
I won.
Yokkaichi's POV
Cinnamon escorted me home and I gave him another kiss, this time it lasted much longer. We eventually had to pull away as a cold wind blew through, freezing the tips of our elven ears. After saying our goodbyes, I made my way to the front porch when something caught my eye: the mailbox.
The red flag was up and my heart beat quickly. The Giant Helper. I took out the letter and stuffed it under my shirt and made my way quickly back inside. I left it on my desk and refused to look or open it as I went to bathe. Once I came out and dried off, I reached for the letter, opening it slowly and holding in a breath:
Dear Yokkaichi,
Meet me at the puppet shop, near the workbenches in Emain Macha, at midnight on Lughnasadh. Since you have finals this week, I decided to be thoughtful and have you meet with me when it's all over. If you don't show up, I will be forced to reveal the secret that will tear your family apart once more.
The Giant Helper
I breathed out and put my head in my hands. This Lughnasadh. On one hand, I was grateful that I had more time to think about this. On the other hand, I was terrified of meeting the Giant Helper, especially since his more recent letters had become more threatening. On top of all of this, I had finals to prepare for.
I turned out the lights and snuggled down into my bed. That night, my pleasant dream with Cinnamon morphed into a nightmare about the Giant Helper and my family. I woke up in a cold sweat, shivering from the lack of warmth the fireplace was giving. After stoking the fire back to life, I decided to stay up until morning, studying, and praying to the gods.
Translator Notes:
Butterfly Dress/Shoes - you can find what it looks like here: view/Butterfly_Set
Butterfly Suit/Shoes/Hat - you can find what it looks like here: view/Butterfly_Set
Avon - exactly as described. Avon is the setting for Generation 13: Hamlet and Generation 14: Romeo and Juliet, both of which are taken from the plays made by Shakespeare. You can fish for many unique items to Avon at the fishing pond near the bottom of the map. The history of this Avon is also exactly as described. You can sheer the paper sheep for play pages, and if you collect 5 of a certain play page and take them to the magic spinning wheel, you can make a pass for a theater mission. The difficulty depends on the type of pass, and the mission you get is random. Certain missions and level of difficulty of said mission are needed in order to fulfill a Grandmaster Seal quest. Obviously, this place is loosely based on Stratford-upon-Avon, considered the birthplace of Shakespeare.
Avon Feather - the feather is given to players after starting G13: Hamlet, either by reaching a cumulative total level of 510 or finishing G12. After finishing the first quest given, the Avon feather is received, and can be used by you to transport to Avon. Unlike continent warp, the cool down is 5 minutes in real life. Unlike in the story, the Avon feather is given to every player if they meet the above requirements and finish the quest.
William - no, not William Shakespeare. The William in my story is loosely based on the commerce partner of the same name. William comes from a Halloween event back in 2016 called the Little Ghost. William was a "brother" of the little ghost, Alfie, and was also a ghost as well. Similar to an RPG, you could help out William and receive either a "good" or "bad" ending with him, the good ending of which rewarded a totem that can be activated for certain stat benefits. Somehow, William became a commerce partner and made his way back to Erinn, and the player, because he finds them fascinating. He's incredibly smart and always craves knowledge, but he tends to be a know-it-all.
Shakespeare - considered to be the first milletian in Mabinogi. After his ship wrecked in the real world, he awoke in the Soul Stream where Morrighan called his race "milletians," and he was tended to by a woman named Bella, who eventually became his lover and taught him the music skill, enthralling performance, which lures and hypnotizes monsters nearby the player when the skill is used. Shakespeare used this skill with a flute to lure the rats that were used to kill the citizens of Avon with the plague away from the town and drowning them in the nearby river. Shakespeare is praised for his deed, but is then accused of causing the plague. In anger, and to help make a new race of humans, Shakespeare uses his flute to lead away the children to safety, and gives the flute to a siren, angering the gods and the Partholons of Avon. The Partholons eventually die away and Shakespeare is imprisoned in Avon, guarded by four powerful guardians, where he wrote plays, created the "light" and "dark" side of Avon, and made the paper sheep and butterflies. The rest of his involvement in G13-16 can be found here: view/Shakespeare (be warned, there are spoilers!)
Marlowe - exactly as described. He is the main NPC that helps you get through G13: Hamlet by giving you blank Act pages that get you through the questline. He is indifferent towards the conflict between Shakespeare and the gods.
Lanier - exactly as described. She is the main NPC that helps you get through G14: Romeo and Juliet by giving you blank Act pages that help you get through the questline. She used to be a bard, alchemist, mage and merchant, and also fought in the Mag Tuireadh wars, making her also a soldier, before she fell in love with the books she read while recovering from her wounds and eventually became a writer, then actor. Like Marlowe, she is indifferent towards the conflict between Shakespeare and the gods.
Globe Theatre - where the theater missions, and the majority of G13-G14, take place. Exactly as described.
Merchant of Venice - if you haven't read this at some point in high school, or your life in general, I can't help you. Look it up on wikipedia. But G15: Merchant of Venice, introduced the continent of Belvast, commercing, and the Beach of Scathach. This, alongside G16: Macbeth, are the only Shakespeare generations to not take place in Avon or do missions in the Globe Theatre
Portia - once again, you can learn more about these characters by looking up the plot on wikipedia. I just wanted to point out that Portia in this game is portrayed as an elf (I don't know why). Her house is also located in Filia, between the wedding chapel and Castenea's house.
Loch Lios - lakeside restaurant in Emain Macha west of the fountain in the square. The restaurant in game is actually very small and has no tables and chairs, just the NPC's, a cooking oven and the dock that extends into the lake where you can draw water. For the sake of the story, I expanded the restaurant tremendously while retaining the dock and NPC's.
Shena - waitress at Loch Lios. Gives the restaurant part-time job that rewards a pass that can be used to enter the Emain Macha Cooking Contest held every day Monday-Friday.
Cecelia - Shena's cousin. Plays a major role in the Rush of Love line of sidequests, of which successful completion rewards a journal entry and unlocks all the martial arts fighting skills for the player. Cecelia only appears in this line of sidequests, and also at a certain time in the game, she appears near the Tir Chonaill bank. For the sake of the story, I decided to make her a waitress in Loch Lios as well.
Fraser - apprentice chef to Gordon. Works at Loch Lios. Considers himself the second best chef in the world, even though he's still learning. He's not the second best chef. He's not the third either.
Gordon - owns the Loch Lios restaurant and is head chef. Has 40 years of cooking experience. Not very talkative and also has his hands full with training Fraser. Unlocking his secret shop grants you the skill books necessary to complete training requirements for the cooking skill.
Corrib Valley Shadow Realm - the specific shadow mission that has you fighting in Corrib Valley, the area that connects Tara and Taillteann, is called the Enemy Behind. In it, you trigger orbs to sacrifice spawning monsters into a circle, or along the path, already spawned monsters must be defeated. The final boss is the Dark Commander.
Jousting/Jousting Arena - exactly as described. Preliminaries are held Monday-Saturday at 7pm PST and 10pm PST and those who win twice in a week get a pass for the finals held on Sunday at 7pm. The jousting itself is done sort of rock-paper-scissors style. For more info, go here: view/Jousting
Lances - unlike in the story, elves cannot equip lances at all. They also cannot rebirth into the Knight talent. However, elves can participate in jousting tournaments. This means that the lances used in jousting are somehow different, and thus elves can use them, but no one questions this inconsistency. Also, giants do not always win, and elves do not always lose in jousting
Lileas - the jousting arena manager. She is also well known for making delicious honey drinks, made from the honey that can be gathered in Corrib Valley. Her older brother is Alpin, who works in the Hanging Gardens in Rath Royal Castle, the same gardener Yokkaichi met in the story earlier in this book. If you accept the quest, Bet with Lileas, you are tasked to win a jousting preliminary or final to prove her wrong about not being able to win.
Puppet Shop - a shop where puppets and control bars are sold in Emain Macha, a little northwest of Loch Lios, and also where you can use carpentry workbenches for the carpentry skill and steam ovens for alchemy skills. Control bars are weapons that can be used by itself for two skills, wire pull and puppet's snare, and to control two different types of puppets: pierrot and colossus. The puppets themselves can also use a variety of skills, known as "acts." Equipping control bars will take you through the Puppeteer line of sidequests, where successful completion grants a title, journal entry, several puppetry skills, and either a pierrot or colossus marionette.
Hooo boy! That's a lot of translator notes! Apologies that I used so many! To be honest, I did not expect this chapter to become so long. I was once again struck with motivation to finish this next chapter.
So for those of you who are still reading, hi! It's been about a year since the last update to this book (and even longer for No Average Angel *bricked*). So just to let anyone still reading know, we really are coming up to the end! After this chapter, there should be another long chapter, and an epilogue. I was debating including the plots for two bonus chapters, but I figured I'll add that in if you guys really want it. It doesn't really add anything to Yokkaichi and her story.
I have gotten all the major plot points down, I just need to take the time to write out the descriptions and dialogue and mash them all together. This takes a long time though, so I haven't been the most motivated to get it done. But who knows? Perhaps getting so close to the end of this book will be motivation enough to finally finish it!
I'll have a lot more to say in the final chapter of this book, so I guess for now, I'll sign off here (and go to sleep at 3am) and see you in the next chapter!