I know it's been awhile! I have another project that's taking up my brain space right now, but I still intermittently work into this!
Tia is still in the harem, but she's going to meet up with Chichiri again soon and meet the emperor! Much excite. Kourin is still having issues accepting her role in life, but who doesn't sometimes?
Enjoy!
-Trusting Instincts-
"Hey Tia… Oh. Hey Mrs. Redfield," Carly yawns, looking through her mass of unruly black curls to the digital clock on her dresser. "Six-thirty in the morning after tractor day, this better be good!"
Her ire disappears as she listens to the woman on the other end, who is so terribly upset that she eventually becomes unintelligible with sobs. A sinking feeling pulses in her gut. Shivers raise the hair on her arms.
"What happened to Tia? I can't hear you I'm sorry, is there something I can do?" she asks, trying to break through before the phone is switched over to Tia's father. After a few more moments of listening, Carly gets dizzy. "Tia is stuck in a computer?"
The Redfields are asking for her assistance and her secrecy. Tia is being written as a part of an ancient fairy tale called The Universe of the Four Gods, all because she was looking for something to help with Carly's project. She agrees to drive over to their house. Her gut feeling is something she prides on, and while everything sounded too unreal, it's telling her to see for herself. The Redfields aren't religious or superstitious like her grandparents; they're not the type to lie about something so freaky.
"Hey mom, I gotta go to Tia's. She needs my help with some packing for school, wanted to spend more time with me before she leaves cuz she doesn't work this weekend," she fibs, grabbing an untoasted piece of bread as her breakfast. Her mother, busy preparing breakfast for the rest of the family, merely nods her head and tells her to be safe.
Carly rolls her eyes and goes to her car. "I could've told her the real reason I'm heading over; she probably still wouldn't have actually listened. Typical," she thinks sourly, pulling away from the old farmhouse. Fifteen minutes later and she's pulled into the driveway of the Redfield house, with all its charm and peeling paint.
"Oh, Carly I'm so glad you came. I know everything sounds strange but we can't think to involve the police when it's so bizarre…"
"You were asking her for help on a project about fairy tales, weren't you? Maybe you know something about this."
Both of Tia's parents bombard her with these types of questions, but Carly takes them in stride given how exhausted and miserable they appear. Faces gaunt with sleep deprivation, red eyes, hunched shoulders… They'd gone past being completely hysterical to seemingly accepting of a horrible truth. Carly's half-expectation that it is a prank ends. Tia would've popped out by now. At Tia's computer, she sits. Reads from the beginning.
"Well, you weren't lying," she mumbles, watching as text keeps appearing on the screen, telling of Tia dreaming of her parents yelling at Kourin.
"Do you know anything about this? Is it some occult thing? I know those types of things exist because I was young and curious once too, but this has gone too far!" Mrs. Redfield berates again, wringing her hands and shifting from foot to foot nervously. While Carly would love to comment on the unexpected fact she's just learned, she knows staying serious is crucial if she wants to help find a way to get Tia back.
"Let's just keep reading, I guess. I dunno, maybe you two can get breakfast and a nap and then we can look it up some more," Carly suggests, sincerely at a loss. The computer wouldn't exit out of the page, and with her parents right in front of her she'd never try to turn it off. "Though I have a feeling it would just stay on no matter what. I'm picking up some weird vibes from this thing."
Carly reads on, genuinely curious.
Tia yawns and stretches her arms above her head.
"I got a good night of sleep for once! Probably because Houki kept me fed last night," she mumbles contentedly. Flopping her arms down again, she drowsily stares at the form of her legs under the sheets.
"I wonder if it'll just be this over and over again. It's going to get boring fast."
A polite knock at the door pulls her from her hazy musings.
"Lady Tia, you've slept a bit later than usual today. Lady Kourin has sent us to help you get ready for a small breakfast," a maid calls, and Tia allows them to come in.
After allowing the servant women to wrangle her into a flowy white and gold dress with a deep red robe and golden colored sash, Tia switches it up on them.
"If you don't mind, do you think I could have… light cosmetics? Some eye stuff and some lip color…?" she requests shyly, still unused to ordering anybody around. Houki confides that she doesn't like doing so either having come from a poor background. Tia infers that Kourin must come from a rich one; she never has problems being a high-strung mistress.
"Of course, Lady Tia. That's what we're here for," one responds gently behind her. Tia smiles despite her bashfulness and mutters a thanks, and lets the ladies continue their work. When make-up isn't slathered on and merely used to delicately highlight her features, Tia feels comfortable with it. Even better, if she so chooses to take it off after a couple hours, she has no obligation to anyone! The emperor never visits, so she's free from that burden.
Another knock comes at the door just as the maids are finishing up.
"Tia, you're taking too long, I'm hungry!"
Kourin's complaint rings through the room and Tia stands with an eyeroll to greet her. She opens the door to see Kourin with her mouth open about to complain. Instead, the words die out and her face stills when their eyes meet. She's completely paused, as if she just realized something.
"Kourin, you wanted to go to breakfast right?" Tia comments slowly, weirded out by the intense stare. Kourin shakes out of her reverie and once again turns her nose up, though her cheeks are noticeably pink.
"Of course. I must compliment on your taste in using your makeup: it looks much better when it's subtle, rather than that clown face you showed up in," she retorts, covering up her odd moment. Tia stares with narrowed eyes for a few moments before shrugging.
"And here I thought you'd say it wouldn't matter because I always have a clown face."
Kourin and Tia make serious and intense eye contact before both sputter into laughter. They begin walking to the dining hall to meet up with Houki.
"You're a strange one. Your sense of humor is otherworldly," Kourin says, drawling out the end word while giving Tia the side eye. She couldn't take it anymore. Every night she's been seeing her younger sister, who chides her about not taking Tia to the emperor, about not embracing the character Nuriko.
"I guess you could call it that," Tia mumbles in response, wondering if it's the correct time to let Kourin in on her big secret. She's been thinking about it the past couple days. Since she's in the palace already, maybe Kourin could help her see the emperor since she seems to sneak around the palace all the time! Despite getting the response she desires to lead on to her true question, neither speak, and both are uncomfortable about it.
"Ah, just the two ladies I was hoping to run into! I've been trying to get Lady Trianna to myself and you've been hogging her for too long, Lady Kourin."
Tia and Kourin turn with a start, as a fellow harem member approaches them from the left. Kourin immediately narrows her eyes venomously, but Tia shows mild curiosity. She's been kept from talking to most of the other ladies in the harem, or rather, all the other ladies stay away from her.
"Tia," Kourin pushes out, exhaling forcefully and donning a cold smile, "This is Lady Miho. She is the daughter of a wealthy merchant in Eiyou."
Tia bows slightly in introduction, offering no verbal response as Miho already knows her name. When she rises, she sends a questioning look to her friend. Kourin is giving off such a strong, fierce feeling… Tia can't see anything, but it isn't unlike that time when Chichiri fought those thugs in the city.
"Do forgive my interruption, Lady Trianna. But I, like the others, have been questioning who you are but haven't had the opportunity to ask you. Kourin and Houki have been keeping you sequestered away," Miho says casually, ignoring Kourin and directing an all-too-innocent smile to Tia. She recognizes it and sides with Kourin internally, knowing that Lady Miho is about to say something less than nice.
"That's okay. What did you want to say? I trust Kourin, anything you want to say to me can be said in front of her," Tia responds evenly, channeling her inner snooty-pants and holding her head slightly higher. The effect would be better if she weren't so short…
"Hmph. An excuse to hide. Just another thing that makes you unworthy of being here. Do you honestly think that a strange-looking foreigner with a gibberish name could ever be chosen as empress to His Highness? It's ludicrous," Miho begins, watching both Tia and Kourin for reactions before confidently continuing. "And you align yourself with Kourin and that country bumpkin Houki, it's pitiful watching you three pretend to be ladies."
"Bullies. Hate 'em. But since I'm not back in my world, this dingus gets to pay!" Tia thinks rapidly, the lump in her throat melting to tightening fists. Before Miho can start talking again with her prissy little followers coming boldly up behind her to join in, before Kourin can snap back a witticism of her own, and before Tia really plans something solid in her head, she darts forward and draws back her foot.
An ungodly shriek pierces the peaceful morning. Miho is on the floor wailing about her shin, calling Tia a vicious savage and other such unpleasant names, surrounded by other ladies. Kourin stands jaw dropped in shock. Tia stands vindicated by her rash action. It's the calls for guards to come that spur Kourin into action. Something clicks in her mind: "It's time, Kourin. You're right."
"C'mon Tia, we have to go find the emperor. He's the only one who can help us now!" Kourin grabs Tia's wrist and drags her away from the spectacle. Tia stumbles and curses under her breath before gaining her feet and following. Kourin lets her go. They round a corner and bump into Houki.
"Tia, Kourin! I've been looking for you both, what is the commotion?"
Kourin swipes her hand hurriedly, looking perturbed.
"Houki we have to go. We'll tell you later I promise!" Tia calls, having already resumed running after Kourin. On they go, into a different part of the palace. They stop so Tia can catch her breath and for Kourin to get her bearings.
"How do you even know where he is right now?" Tia puffs, hating the sweat running down her face. There goes her tasteful makeup.
"I'll confess that I have more hiding places around the palace, and I overheard some stooge saying that His Majesty is in a private meeting with a man claiming to be a celestial warrior. I know where the meeting is."
"How?"
"Bribed a maid, of course."
Tia rolls her eyes and they keep moving. Shouts can be heard now, deepening Kourin's frown. "Dammit," she mutters. Tia doesn't have the breath to comment on her foul language. She knows that those shouts are for them, because they are in loads of trouble. Super trouble.
Kourin suddenly careens to a door, Tia barely catching the move and skidding into the wall before rushing into the room. More breath catching.
"You're so bad at this. But don't worry Tia, I'll get you there. I said I'd look out for you." Kourin shoots Tia a smile so confident and so surprisingly roguish that she can't help but smile and nod. They silence themselves when they hear running footsteps come and pass, and once it's quiet enough again Kourin leads the way out.
"Whatever happens, you do what I say," Kourin instructs, Tia grunting her acquiescence.
"Why couldn't I have been born with running lungs instead of shitty ones?!" Tia can feel the jogging and running catching up fast. She'll gladly do any exercise except for running. This is just cruel.
When they come upon stationary soldiers planted in the hallway, Tia reasonably concludes with video game logic that the emperor must be in a room nearby. She stays behind Kourin, as ordered.
"Hey, you're the two women who broke from the harem aren't you? Forfeit yourselves and take responsibility for your actions," one of them commands, slamming his spear on the ground while his cohorts ready their own spears and swords. Tia looks to Kourin with a frazzled expression, her body tense.
"You wackjobs better get out of my way, because I'm not in the greatest mood!" she snarls back, and Tia feels a surge in that feeling from before that is so similar to what she felt with Chichiri.
"Is Kourin secretly a wizard?" Tia watches for an aura like before but sees none. Instead, Kourin jumps forward, an action that effectively surprises all parties. Tia watches with eyes getting wider and mouth dropping lower. Kourin wrenches the first man's spear from his hand and snaps it cleanly, as if it were a mere twig. She keeps the non-bladed half and raps her assailants on their heads. Despite wearing helmets, the force of her hits are too strong. Before long, Kourin has downed the group of soldiers and casually thrown her spear end to the side. She smiles smugly in satisfaction for her work before realizing that Tia is frozen with a face emulating a dead fish.
"No time to explain right now when we're so close, Tia. Hurry up!"
Tia snaps to at the snippy reprimand, shaking her head. "Everyone keeps telling me they'll explain later and it never happens. Next time I get the chance I'm going to sit everyone down and have a long talk."
Kourin and Tia hear that more soldiers are heading their way, frantically yelling about protecting the emperor. They reach a door in the middle of the hallway and stop. Soldiers appear at each end of the hallway, cutting them off. If they were still outdoors, they could sprint off through the gardens.
"Tia, go through that door. You seem to be a pretty lucky person so I'm certain you'll get away."
Tia bristles and grips Kourin's arm.
"Hell no dude I'm staying! I know I'm useless but I know better than to–"
"–Go, Tia! This is about logic, not pride. They won't kill me right off, you just have to go find the emperor. You know he's close, just trust your instincts!" Kourin cuts off, whispering harshly. She doesn't want the soldiers edging closer to hear. She shoves Tia toward the door roughly, glowering shortly before shielding Tia as much from the soldiers' view as possible.
Tia gulps and opens the door just wide enough to slip in, then shuts it. With a renewed energy spurred by panic, she scours the opulent room before her for any sign of life. None. But there are rooms connecting to this, like it's an entire suite! She runs around furniture and follows along a path, meeting with no servants or any guards or anyone else. She hears a man speaking softly in another room and stops short. The chances of it being the emperor are technically very low. If it is, the chances of him helping her and saving Kourin are even lower.
"ThissucksthissucksthisSUCKS!" She throws herself forward, trusting herself to fate. In her desperation she overbalances in her mad dash through the doorway and into the room.
The voices stop with surprised gasps as Tia skids into the room landing flat on her face. Tears spring to her eyes from the pain. From fear. From frustration.
Then…
"Tia? Tia is that you no da?"
Tia wrenches her head up despite her embarrassing tumble. Giddiness at seeing Chichiri once again bursts onto her face in the form of a grin and more tears. The monk strides over after a slight glance to the other occupant of the room to help her up. Tia immediately wraps her arms around his middle and hugs him close.
"This has been so scary! You have to help Kourin, Chichiri! Please you have to!" she cries, looking up as she draws back from her frantic action. Chichiri doesn't get the chance to respond.
"What's this all about? Please turn to face us and explain, young lady."
Because nothing ever really goes the most logical way in this story, but Tia is on her way! Good on ye, Kourin.
Thanks to those who are reading! You're greatly appreciated. If I made any weird errors, or if ya gots any nice things to say or constructive stuff, send along a review! I'm not hung up on any sort of counts however; as long as one person reads this story, I'll be happy.
Til Next Time,
-A
