Sunshine Challenge 5: Blue
Jul. 28th, 2020 09:49 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
icecheetahFrom Sunshine Challenge 5
Blue is a tranquil color that is associated with a variety of things including: balance, discovery, peace, calm, openness, patience, honor, grace, trust, depression, recovery, prophecy, respect, empathy, flexibility, and water.
Sun-bleached bones were most wonderful against the blue – that blue that will always be there as it is now after all man’s destruction is finished. – Georgia O’Keeffe
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
These Chapters just keep getting longer... though I think this may be the longest.
Every Princess is... a witch.
Selene's... a Princess?
That shepherd (with her soft hands) who fussed over and cared for Cinderella (even if her cooking wasn't that great) and talked to her as an equal (but had a bit of a funny way of doing so) and gave Cinderella a swor... a gem encrusted sword, apparently a dowry. Cinderella took out the sword and stared at it, delicately touching the blade, her new skin, rubbed down to the softness, was still too tough for the blade to cut. Selene, the shepherdess, a Princess? Was her supposed husband to be, the one who eloped with the Blacksmith's son, a Prince then?
...
Kids are imaginative. A stranger with an odd accent and nice clothes (and a gem encrusted sword) walks in and the girl thinks she has to be a Princess. And if said stranger's old home had ready access to salt, well, perhaps even the poorest there could afford what would be fineries for her. Was it that strange? Impossible? If this village where everyone paints their homes existed, the village of salt wasn't so impossible... . The confusion weighed down her thoughts, and for once her mind, not her bones, felt the weariness of hard work. And it was still only morning.
Cinderella asked: "Is your grandma a Witch too?"
Thandi nodded with her entire body. "MH! She wished to be able to heal people! I've never seen anyone make that wish go bad!"
At least Cinderella could maybe talk to an adult about this. "Is being able to hide a good wish?"
Thandi turned up her nose. "It was a stupid wish!" And she looked at Cinderella. Her eyes perhaps a little shinier, watery, but searching. Searching and befuddled. "It... doesn't seem good or bad? You should have saved it for something important! You... you won't be fun to play hide and seek with if you can hide easily!"
"I promise I won't cheat!"
"hmmm... ... maybe you can play. If you really really promise you won't."
"If I ever cheat... I must bake you a cake."
Thandi gasped. "COULD YOU DO THAT WITH YOUR FIRE POWERS?" So the distraction worked. Easily.
"Maybe. But you will never find out! Because I won't cheat!"
"Nuuuuuuuuuh!"
Thandi's grandma's house was painted in much the same way as those in the village itself, but more elaborate, more detailed, and the paint ranged from all but faded to not yet dry. The patterns were mostly flowers, almost done of the shapes that Cinderella had seen on the other houses, and on the way was a garden filled with vegetables.
"GRANDMA!" Thandi yelled. "I'm here with a new friend! Her name's Su...Se..."
"CINDERELLA!" Cinderella yelled, holding the basket still.
"Yes! Sender-Ella!"
Sundrella sounded nicer.
Thandi's grandmother stepped out and she was... old. Grey hair, loose skin, wrinkled, stained skin... but she stood and walked with a great strength and purpose. And with elegance, she bowed. "Well met. My name is Mbali. Come in!" Her gaze flew to the basket, "I see you helped her too... though I often say the village doesn't need to give me gifts." She gestured at her garden. "I grow everything I need."
Cinderella nodded. If she, herself, could do all that work that family needed, a woman being able to look after herself and just herself... "It must be hard work."
Mbali smiled in that way only old women truly can. "I have learned how to keep an eye on it."
"Why do you live so far away from your the village?"
She got no reply. Not before Thandi hopped in place, from foot to foot. "Granndddmaaaaaa! Let's go inside! We had an adventure on the way!" She stopped. "You can tell Cinderella stories!"
"Ah... " Mbali turned to the house. "Do you like fruit teas, Cinderella?"
"I... don't know."
"It can't hurt to try then!"
Thandi bounced again. "Yeah! Cinderella! Try the... Grandma do you have blueberry tea? I think she'd like the blueberry tea!"
Finally got the name right.
"...and then the wolves just snorted and walked away!" Thandi's retelling of the events in the forest was a bit... embellished. "And then I told Cinderella about wishes and she was really stupid and wished to be able to hide anywhere! Now she doesn't have any!"
A very, chillingly, serious look crossed Mbali's face for a moment. A moment in which her eyes met Cinderella's. The moment ended when Mbali looked to Thandi. "She could have had a good reason." She downed her tea, then stared at the cup. "Thandi... I dare you to find the best blueberries in my garden."
"...but... ."
"If you manage, I might bake a cake while you're here."
With a shriek of unidentifiable emotion, Thandi ran out the door. Eliciting a chuckle from Mbali.
"She gets so excited." She turned back to Cinderella, the seriousness returned. "Now, I'm guessing you might have questions."
"I... I did want to talk to someone who wasn't a child... ." Cinderella shrunk away.
"... I'm sorry. I don't want to make you nervous. No matter what my grandchild thinks, you haven't done anything wrong with your wish to hide."
"... she said that... I'm staying with Selene and Thandi said that she's a witch... that I'm a witch... ."
"As are Thandi and I."
Cinderella nodded. Yes, she did say that. "I... ."
"Whatever you may have heard about witches before coming here, cast it aside. Many people have twisted the word 'witch' to target women who are a threat, even if they had not even had their first wish." She breathed. "Here, we use it to mean only women who made wishes that grant them power. They are no more good or bad than any other person."
"Thandi said that every Princess is a witch? How can that be?"
"Every Princess... and every Queen." Mbali leaned back. "You... are you a Princess?"
"No."
A sad smile cracked through Mbali's face. "And were you taught how to summon your fairy godparent?"
"No ..?" Did she accidentally do that?
"You must have had a kind one then. If they chose to appear before you." The sad smile broadened. "Let me tell you a story. It might answer a couple of your questions along the way.
I was a Princess, but I was born... deformed. Because of my deformity, my mother never taught me how to form my wishes properly nor the rites to summon my fairy godparent.
Fortunately, I had sisters, who taught me the rites. Possibly to mock me, believing that if I tried I would fail. But I succeeded. I had called forth proof that I, too, was a Princess.
Of course, I wished to be cured of my deformity. And then to be able to cure others for surely I must have brothers who suffer so but cannot wish it away. But, even with my condition cured, I was not recognised. My own family could not separate me from how I had been born. So I wished that I was far away from my family. And so I came here and built this place.
And all seemed good, until I created my own family. Loving though they were, the moment we became a family, my own wish forced me out of my home. Not as far as with my birth family, but I had to move out here. My family live in the village, and I cannot enter anymore. It's a blessing that my Fairy Godparent's interpretation of my wish allows Thandi... and no one else, from my family to visit without pushing me away."
Cinderella held onto the words. A simple tale, but... "You had an unfair family too... everyone here has been relentlessly kind... is this... how..." She searched the room, as if it might hold the words she wanted to express. "I didn't know Fairy Godmo- Godparents could twist wishes."
"Many people are kind. Human or otherwise. Here or elsewhere."
Many people are kind.
Many... people... are... not.
"I wished to be able to hide... because I don't want my family to find me." Cinderella felt a need to return something for the story, and all she had were her own words. She stood. "Do you know Selene? Thandi said that she did something bad. Do you know if she did?"
"Even if I did, she's the one who should tell you."
"... ah."
"Do you wish to go ask her now?"
"I do... but... I have to take Thandi home. The wolves... ."
"You're right." Mbali stood, and walked over to a jar. "We do not know if the wolves are a threat yet-"
"Selene says they take her sheep."
Mbali held the jar, silent. Many moments passed. "That's... troublesome." She took some coins out of the jar. "For now, could you guard Thandi whenever she comes to visit? At least as a starter job." She held out the money to Cinderella.
"Is that... for taking her here?"
"And it will be for taking her back."
Cinderella had never owned so much money. Not when she was only ever given enough for whatever she was sent to buy and maybe, if she was lucky or good at bargaining, a little extra food for herself. This could buy her a CAKE.
If she wanted to say anything, she couldn't choke it out. Not when her own years and years made her want to choke down the flood that salted and tore her throat. If you have time to be miserable-
Mbali touched Cinderella's shoulder and everything burst. Mbali spoke, but Cinderella could only hear gentle tones.
Cinderella held her face. Even now she wanted to hide. To vanish, to... .
"Grandma! You made Ella cry!"
Thandi was clear. Thandi was scolding. But not to Cinderella.
Mbali's response to Thandi wasn't so clear, but Thandi's "Hmph. If you say so," was. As was her eventual "What do you mean you can't make the cake NOW?"
"...time. And I think that Cinderella would like to go home." Mbali's voice started to clear. "If you come tomorrow with her, I'll make sure the cake is fresh."
"Oh... okay... Ella! Let's go."
Cinderella felt tugging on her cloak. The flood was still there, waiting... but for now it wasn't overflowing anymore.
"Let's go."
Blue is a tranquil color that is associated with a variety of things including: balance, discovery, peace, calm, openness, patience, honor, grace, trust, depression, recovery, prophecy, respect, empathy, flexibility, and water.
Sun-bleached bones were most wonderful against the blue – that blue that will always be there as it is now after all man’s destruction is finished. – Georgia O’Keeffe
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
These Chapters just keep getting longer... though I think this may be the longest.
Every Princess is... a witch.
Selene's... a Princess?
That shepherd (with her soft hands) who fussed over and cared for Cinderella (even if her cooking wasn't that great) and talked to her as an equal (but had a bit of a funny way of doing so) and gave Cinderella a swor... a gem encrusted sword, apparently a dowry. Cinderella took out the sword and stared at it, delicately touching the blade, her new skin, rubbed down to the softness, was still too tough for the blade to cut. Selene, the shepherdess, a Princess? Was her supposed husband to be, the one who eloped with the Blacksmith's son, a Prince then?
...
Kids are imaginative. A stranger with an odd accent and nice clothes (and a gem encrusted sword) walks in and the girl thinks she has to be a Princess. And if said stranger's old home had ready access to salt, well, perhaps even the poorest there could afford what would be fineries for her. Was it that strange? Impossible? If this village where everyone paints their homes existed, the village of salt wasn't so impossible... . The confusion weighed down her thoughts, and for once her mind, not her bones, felt the weariness of hard work. And it was still only morning.
Cinderella asked: "Is your grandma a Witch too?"
Thandi nodded with her entire body. "MH! She wished to be able to heal people! I've never seen anyone make that wish go bad!"
At least Cinderella could maybe talk to an adult about this. "Is being able to hide a good wish?"
Thandi turned up her nose. "It was a stupid wish!" And she looked at Cinderella. Her eyes perhaps a little shinier, watery, but searching. Searching and befuddled. "It... doesn't seem good or bad? You should have saved it for something important! You... you won't be fun to play hide and seek with if you can hide easily!"
"I promise I won't cheat!"
"hmmm... ... maybe you can play. If you really really promise you won't."
"If I ever cheat... I must bake you a cake."
Thandi gasped. "COULD YOU DO THAT WITH YOUR FIRE POWERS?" So the distraction worked. Easily.
"Maybe. But you will never find out! Because I won't cheat!"
"Nuuuuuuuuuh!"
Thandi's grandma's house was painted in much the same way as those in the village itself, but more elaborate, more detailed, and the paint ranged from all but faded to not yet dry. The patterns were mostly flowers, almost done of the shapes that Cinderella had seen on the other houses, and on the way was a garden filled with vegetables.
"GRANDMA!" Thandi yelled. "I'm here with a new friend! Her name's Su...Se..."
"CINDERELLA!" Cinderella yelled, holding the basket still.
"Yes! Sender-Ella!"
Sundrella sounded nicer.
Thandi's grandmother stepped out and she was... old. Grey hair, loose skin, wrinkled, stained skin... but she stood and walked with a great strength and purpose. And with elegance, she bowed. "Well met. My name is Mbali. Come in!" Her gaze flew to the basket, "I see you helped her too... though I often say the village doesn't need to give me gifts." She gestured at her garden. "I grow everything I need."
Cinderella nodded. If she, herself, could do all that work that family needed, a woman being able to look after herself and just herself... "It must be hard work."
Mbali smiled in that way only old women truly can. "I have learned how to keep an eye on it."
"Why do you live so far away from your the village?"
She got no reply. Not before Thandi hopped in place, from foot to foot. "Granndddmaaaaaa! Let's go inside! We had an adventure on the way!" She stopped. "You can tell Cinderella stories!"
"Ah... " Mbali turned to the house. "Do you like fruit teas, Cinderella?"
"I... don't know."
"It can't hurt to try then!"
Thandi bounced again. "Yeah! Cinderella! Try the... Grandma do you have blueberry tea? I think she'd like the blueberry tea!"
Finally got the name right.
"...and then the wolves just snorted and walked away!" Thandi's retelling of the events in the forest was a bit... embellished. "And then I told Cinderella about wishes and she was really stupid and wished to be able to hide anywhere! Now she doesn't have any!"
A very, chillingly, serious look crossed Mbali's face for a moment. A moment in which her eyes met Cinderella's. The moment ended when Mbali looked to Thandi. "She could have had a good reason." She downed her tea, then stared at the cup. "Thandi... I dare you to find the best blueberries in my garden."
"...but... ."
"If you manage, I might bake a cake while you're here."
With a shriek of unidentifiable emotion, Thandi ran out the door. Eliciting a chuckle from Mbali.
"She gets so excited." She turned back to Cinderella, the seriousness returned. "Now, I'm guessing you might have questions."
"I... I did want to talk to someone who wasn't a child... ." Cinderella shrunk away.
"... I'm sorry. I don't want to make you nervous. No matter what my grandchild thinks, you haven't done anything wrong with your wish to hide."
"... she said that... I'm staying with Selene and Thandi said that she's a witch... that I'm a witch... ."
"As are Thandi and I."
Cinderella nodded. Yes, she did say that. "I... ."
"Whatever you may have heard about witches before coming here, cast it aside. Many people have twisted the word 'witch' to target women who are a threat, even if they had not even had their first wish." She breathed. "Here, we use it to mean only women who made wishes that grant them power. They are no more good or bad than any other person."
"Thandi said that every Princess is a witch? How can that be?"
"Every Princess... and every Queen." Mbali leaned back. "You... are you a Princess?"
"No."
A sad smile cracked through Mbali's face. "And were you taught how to summon your fairy godparent?"
"No ..?" Did she accidentally do that?
"You must have had a kind one then. If they chose to appear before you." The sad smile broadened. "Let me tell you a story. It might answer a couple of your questions along the way.
I was a Princess, but I was born... deformed. Because of my deformity, my mother never taught me how to form my wishes properly nor the rites to summon my fairy godparent.
Fortunately, I had sisters, who taught me the rites. Possibly to mock me, believing that if I tried I would fail. But I succeeded. I had called forth proof that I, too, was a Princess.
Of course, I wished to be cured of my deformity. And then to be able to cure others for surely I must have brothers who suffer so but cannot wish it away. But, even with my condition cured, I was not recognised. My own family could not separate me from how I had been born. So I wished that I was far away from my family. And so I came here and built this place.
And all seemed good, until I created my own family. Loving though they were, the moment we became a family, my own wish forced me out of my home. Not as far as with my birth family, but I had to move out here. My family live in the village, and I cannot enter anymore. It's a blessing that my Fairy Godparent's interpretation of my wish allows Thandi... and no one else, from my family to visit without pushing me away."
Cinderella held onto the words. A simple tale, but... "You had an unfair family too... everyone here has been relentlessly kind... is this... how..." She searched the room, as if it might hold the words she wanted to express. "I didn't know Fairy Godmo- Godparents could twist wishes."
"Many people are kind. Human or otherwise. Here or elsewhere."
Many people are kind.
Many... people... are... not.
"I wished to be able to hide... because I don't want my family to find me." Cinderella felt a need to return something for the story, and all she had were her own words. She stood. "Do you know Selene? Thandi said that she did something bad. Do you know if she did?"
"Even if I did, she's the one who should tell you."
"... ah."
"Do you wish to go ask her now?"
"I do... but... I have to take Thandi home. The wolves... ."
"You're right." Mbali stood, and walked over to a jar. "We do not know if the wolves are a threat yet-"
"Selene says they take her sheep."
Mbali held the jar, silent. Many moments passed. "That's... troublesome." She took some coins out of the jar. "For now, could you guard Thandi whenever she comes to visit? At least as a starter job." She held out the money to Cinderella.
"Is that... for taking her here?"
"And it will be for taking her back."
Cinderella had never owned so much money. Not when she was only ever given enough for whatever she was sent to buy and maybe, if she was lucky or good at bargaining, a little extra food for herself. This could buy her a CAKE.
If she wanted to say anything, she couldn't choke it out. Not when her own years and years made her want to choke down the flood that salted and tore her throat. If you have time to be miserable-
Mbali touched Cinderella's shoulder and everything burst. Mbali spoke, but Cinderella could only hear gentle tones.
Cinderella held her face. Even now she wanted to hide. To vanish, to... .
"Grandma! You made Ella cry!"
Thandi was clear. Thandi was scolding. But not to Cinderella.
Mbali's response to Thandi wasn't so clear, but Thandi's "Hmph. If you say so," was. As was her eventual "What do you mean you can't make the cake NOW?"
"...time. And I think that Cinderella would like to go home." Mbali's voice started to clear. "If you come tomorrow with her, I'll make sure the cake is fresh."
"Oh... okay... Ella! Let's go."
Cinderella felt tugging on her cloak. The flood was still there, waiting... but for now it wasn't overflowing anymore.
"Let's go."
