It's impossible to tell time down here. Joan shook her head. Has it been a day? Two days? I don't know anymore. I wish Jim and Claire were here, so I could go explore Trollmarket some more. She sighed. If Nomura trusted me to go out alone, I could just look at everything, but no, I have to stay in the keep.
She glanced over at Nomura. The troll was standoffish and brusque, but she always made sure Joan was taken care of. She even found a mattress for Joan to sleep on and gave her fresh food and clean clothes.
Sometimes Nomura threatened other trolls, but she never made good on it.
You can be really harsh. Joan thought as she watched Nomura stare up at the grey ceiling. Maybe that's why the other trolls look at you weird. You're off in your own little corner.
Joan remembered one incident when several trolls saw Nomura coming and ducked out of the way. As she and Nomura passed the group, Joan heard whispers. She looked at the trolls, expecting to see them staring at her, but found them eyeing Nomura instead.
I know you're different from them. I get it. That's what high school's like for me – everybody staring, whispering – saying mean things about me…
Joan studied the Tristan and Isolde poster again. She crossed her legs and propped her elbows on her knees.
"Nomura…?"
"What? Hungry again?" The troll snorted.
"No… I just – Do you – I mean – Do you like opera?!" She didn't mean for the last part to come out in a high-pitched squeak.
Nomura's green eyes went wide.
Joan looked away.
"Well… I do… appreciate it," Nomura said.
"Were you the one who… I mean…" She bit her lip. "'Stay true to thyself and who cares what others think'? It was you, wasn't it?" She pointed at Nomura. "You were there! At the theatre! You left that note and you…" She covered her open mouth. "No – Don't tell me you–" Joan sucked in a hard breath. "You watched me sing, didn't you?!"
"So, what if I did?" said Nomura.
Joan flew to her feet. "You can't just do that!" She crossed her arms. "But it was only one time, right? You just happened to find me?"
Nomura stared at the pile of pottery shards on her table. "Well… I stumbled upon you a few months ago."
Joan felt the blood drain from her face.
Nomura snorted. "You sure like to come there and pretend to be a little diva."
"Don't make fun of me!" Joan scolded. "And don't just watch me sing without me knowing you're there. That's creepy!"
Nomura raised an eyebrow.
"I don't want anyone to hear me sing, all right. I know it's stupid. You don't have to say it." Joan hung her head.
"Don't put words in my mouth, whelp," Nomura chided, a little annoyed.
"It is stupid… I know… I just…" Joan sighed.
Nomura turned stern eyes her way. "Stupid? Why do you think it's stupid?"
"Because–" Joan began. "Because I'm not a singer, and if I'm going to be a singer, it won't be that kind. Their world isn't for people like me."
"And why not?" Nomura challenged.
"Because… I – I'm just a lowlife street kid, all right!" Her blunted fingernails bit into her arms. "All those rich elites – they don't care about us!"
"'Us'? 'Them?' Ditch those. You're not a group or a tribe. You're you! What is it you want, Joan Callas? Who are you? Do you really want what 'they' give you? Your tribe? From what I've seen, they're just wardens keeping you from escaping your prison cell." With a snort, Nomura added, "Sounds lovely."
Joan eyed the dark ceiling and swallowed hard. "But… I don't know what to do without them…"
Nomura's hooves clicked on the stone floor, and she settled a hand on Joan's head.
"When you're under someone else's control for so long and then find your freedom… it's hard to figure out what to do on your own, I know." Nomura removed her hand as Joan looked up at her. "If you want to escape the 'they's' and 'us's' you have to use your own two feet and stand up for yourself. No one's going to do it for you. If you want to live, you have to fight."
Joan sat, face in her hands.
Nomura uttered a quiet huff and settled beside her.
"I… I don't think I have it in me," Joan said. "I mean, what's the point?"
"Don't ask me. How should I know?" Nomura rolled her eyes. "I spend so much time appeasing my wardens, I don't know what I'd do without them. Without a prison to keep me in check, I'd be lost. You don't want that."
Joan looked up at the troll again with her wide, brown eyes.
"No! Shut up!" Nomura held up a hand. "You humans are pathetic," she said, even though Joan hadn't uttered a word. The troll stood and headed for the keep entrance. "Eat something. We're going out tonight."
"Out? Where?"
"Don't ask stupid questions." Nomura left with one last, heavy huff.
Editted by dtill359