Uhh, I'm Lin, former rebel leader and freedom fighter for Okime, and a Crusader of the Council. Imagine that! Yeah. ...How the hell do I get this thing to work?
Happy Birthday, Seph!! I tried to make you a carrot cake, but it was awful, so...I asked the Mira from the Peace Corps troops to bake you a better one!
Seph’s been cryin’ for a while, and I have no idea what to say to help her feel better.
I mean...I mean I’m sure the Crusaders found a way to save Hahinn. I would hope they managed to keep her alive, or resurrect her. I mean, I don’t know most of this crop of Crusaders, but the ones I knew would never let their comrade die.
Xiba’s doin’ a better job at comforting her than I’ll ever do. I guess the best I can do is give her space, and when she wants to hug or talk it out or whatever, I’ll be there for her.
Dear person I hate,Dear person I like,Dear ex boyfriend,Dear ex girlfriend,Dear ex bestfriend,Dear bestfriend,Dear *anyone*,Dear Santa,Dear mom,Dear dad,Dear future me,Dear past me,Dear person I’m jealous of,Dear person I had a crush on,Dear girlfriend,Dear boyfriend,
Wow, that's a lot! Some of these, I don't have, but I'll answer as much as I can.
Dear person I hate,
I'm actually glad you're frozen in stasis right now.
Dear person I like,
I haven't found you yet, I guess. I've been really pretty much on my own for the past year, and I've not really had time to flirt with too many people.
Dear ex-boyfriend,
I'm sorry...and no amount of apologizing is ever going to bring you back to me. I loved you.
Dear best friend,
Where are you? I'm tryin' my damndest to find the Crusaders, and I hope you're there...Seph, please still be alive.
Dear ex-best friend,
I'm sorry things didn't work out between us. I hope you and Jang are happy together, and I really hope that you two are safe.
Dear Saba,
I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry...I should have been there at the guard post with you all those years ago. I should've been there and I should've died with you.
Dear Mom and Dad,
I wish I could have been strong enough to save you both. I miss you...but it scares me now because I can hardly remember your faces. I can't forget the lullabies and songs, but your faces are going from my memory.
Dear Past Lin,
For gods' sake, you should've been more direct towards Kilik. You should've been honest with him instead of pushing him away for his own safety. You did far more harm than good to him.
Dear Future Lin,
Find somewhere that isn't torn by war and stay there. Be happy. Please.
Dear person I'm jealous of,
He was sweet on you the whole time, huh? I wish I coulda seen that one coming. But I'm not really jealous of you anymore. I just hope that the two of you enjoy each other's company.
Dear person I had a crush on,
I hope your school for gifted kids is comin' along great! But I sincerely hope that none of 'em will get caught up in this conflict. And I hope you stay safe. Bein' married for a couple hours sure was fun, wasn't it? Heh!
I will write about the following, leave one in my ask box.
Dear person I hate,
Dear person I like,
Dear ex boyfriend,
Dear ex girlfriend,
Dear ex bestfriend,
Dear bestfriend,
Dear *anyone*,
Dear Santa,
Dear mom,
Dear dad,
Dear future me,
Dear past me,
Dear person I’m jealous of,
Dear person I had a crush on,
Dear girlfriend,
Dear boyfriend,
Bawerstrom was gone. Everything–everyone, as far as Lin knew–was gone. Juneau, the Kimmiran guards, the Santora fellow who’d bothered the Crusaders years ago.
More than a year of nothing, waiting at her post, and now everything had happened at once. The coup was so quick, and Lin was given no choice but to escape the Xantheran tower by the guards who’d stood by helping her watch over the monarchs of Bawerstrom, frozen in stasis. The Crusader D Team would fix this, they’d promised. Lin was no longer a Crusader, and her safety could not be guaranteed by the D Team. She’d forced the guards to make a promise that no harm would come to the children. They’d remained theoretically safe in stasis for a year…and she hoped with all her heart as she and her familiar Xiba fled that they would remain frozen, for their own safety. Alanna was just a child, as was Duke Finnian. And the deposed Prince Naoko of Okime deserved no more pain than what he’d already been dealt by his father Shige, that slimy Lord Darquehelm, and most of all Iyatsu Falkor and his Empress. She hadn’t even had time to say goodbye to Juneau, to tell him to be safe.
The sounds of battle echoed into the night as Lin fled the city, traveling as far southwest as she could before she hit the river. It wasn’t until she’d reached the Okimean side of the Tranquil River did she notice the dark black clouds billowing into the sky over Bawerstrom.
“No…!”
Bawerstrom wasn’t even her homeland and yet she felt a pull. Lisette had been her friend, and Bawerstrom risked everything it had to feed the starving rebels and civilians all those years ago. Meixi may still have been in danger, all the way in Kestrel Point to the far south.
Was that smoke really the coup, or something far, far worse? Lin knew that she needed to find help–and find someone who could tell her what in the hell was going on. She needed to find the Cohorts of the Council, or better yet, the Crusaders.
For every ∯ I get I will say/confess something without specifying for whom it is meant
eg:
∯ || You told me once that I was the only person on that team you might consider a friend… I can say now that I should have taken you at your word long ago.
∯ || I wish we had more occasion to speak. I can’t say I’ve ever disliked your company.
∯ || Leave the van Gogh works be; you’re going to give him an ulcer.
Yesterday was my 22nd birthday, and some of my troops scrounged together a little almond cake for me to celebrate. They must have rationed those nuts for ages...I almost cried a little when they gave it to me.
It was real nice of them. I totally forgot about my birthday, but sly ol' Shan must've reminded them.
