#Airisu: The Crow and the Witch

Okiku Part II (Airisu POV): Post 44
#Wss366 Buzz #TimeTravelAuthors Whatever

My mind #buzzed with astonishment at the sight of the shaman’s book, especially when Sumika revealed an identical copy, only older and more battered-looking.

She rejoined the conversation, saying, "Dōken-Shin said that he was returning something you gave him." She held up her copy of the book.

“Then I must give it to him with instructions to return it when the time is right, that the debt is mine, not yours,” Seirei-onna said. “I have been the wild crow all my life, calling no one lord. I see you are the same, a Karasu-tsukai.”

Her eyes moved from Sumika to me and said, “Is it not so, little one?”

I fluffed again. I liked this woman; she recognized my value.

Her gaze returned to Sumika, saying, “Keep the upper hand with Arakawa Dōken.”

“Yes, Mistress,” I cawed in agreement. “He needs you, more than you need him.”

Sumika responded by giving me the eye, but said nothing.

There was another spasm of coughing, then the shaman resumed speaking.

“Do you have a plan to rescue Okiku?”

“We were hoping you could help us with that,” Mistress replied.

“I will do what I am able, but I’m old, and my powers are slipping away from me. I suggest you seek aid from Osakabe-hime. She has lived for centuries, secretly in the upper part of the castle. She is a wise kitsune and knows everything that goes on there. I have bound her, so she will help.”

“How can we do that? I don’t think we can just wander around in the castle.” Mistress’s question was good; I was proud of her.

Seirei-onna didn’t answer and instead said, “Let me look at your book, Karasuko.”

Now, that was a fitting name for my mistress, Crow Child. Indeed, I would raise her well.

#TootFic #NMFic #Crows #Otherkin #Fantasy #UrbanFantasy #TimeTravel #Serial #SlowBurn #Yuri #Folklore

#TimeTravelingGhost EP 10: Post 106 1191, Nicosia, Cyprus

#Wss366 buzz #TimeTravelAuthors Whatever)

The meal was excellent, and I resisted the urge to overindulge in the roast lamb, fragrant with garlic and rosemary. Communal loaves of bread accompanied the dinner. I was surprised to find that it was white, though still coarser than what I was accustomed to. There were greens as well, and lentils stewed with onions and cumin. The Delphinas had plainly spared little in welcoming me. It almost made me feel guilty for deceiving them.

Cool, watered wine, faintly scented with bitter orange, accompanied the food. Emily didn’t need to remind me to drink sparingly. Heavy drinking was inappropriate for the role I played, as well as socially gauche and dangerous.

At the end of the dinner came honey cakes and dried fruit. Despite my attempt to eat sparingly, I was stuffed. Honestly, it was the best meal I could remember having. While the meals on the Hindenburg and Titanic were superbly prepared, they were pretentious. The food here was cooked with love and impressed one by its own merits rather than fancy ingredients.

When the meal was done, I murmured a prayer blessing the family, and then I gave my excuses for needing to leave for the shrine. I was sure the tutor was relieved to hear that, even if Zoé’s face fell when he interpreted what I said.

The master of the house provided me with a servant to light my way.

At the door, the wife pressed upon me small loaves of bread, wrapped in cloth. The scholar translated, “For the road, holy pilgrim.”

The daughter rushed forward, pressing a bundle of honey cakes into my hand. In turn, I attempted to manifest a fragment of St. Catherine’s Wheel to present to her, but was horrified when it failed to appear. I was unsure why. Manifestations had always succeeded as long as they were period-appropriate. Had I overreached? Perhaps what I’d asked for was a holy relic like the lance we had seen in the British Museum, and if so, why didn’t I get a substituted sliver of ordinary wood similar to how I had manifested rough natural chalk in the coral pyramid?

I still wanted to give the child something and to show my appreciation for the hospitality I had received, so I reached up and broke off a small fragment of the carved crown of thorns decorating my mask. When I held it out, the wood gave off a faint glow.

The mother gasped, and everyone signed themselves. From somewhere came the #buzz of amazed servants. Personally, the miracle shocked me speechless. Most surprising of all, the tutor fell to his knees and begged, “Forgive me, holy one.”

Finding my voice again, I said, “You don’t need my forgiveness. Your faithfulness to your master suits you well. May the Lord bless you for it.”

With that, I left the stunned family behind.

#TootFic #NMFic #TimeTravel #HistoricalFantasy #UrbanFantasy #Mythpunk #Serial #Slowburn #Yuri

#TimeTravelingGhost EP 10: Post 105 1191, Nicosia, Cyprus

#Wss366 spar #TimeTravelAuthors 06/1. break)

The tutor translated my request, which was met with approval and caused Zoé to beam.

Emily shook her head and said, “You’re quite the masher. Look at her; she has totally fallen for you.”

Indeed, the girl in question was directing doe eyes at me. The sobriety of prayer was nowhere to be found in them. If I were staying, both the scholar and I would have had to worry about her virtue.

After that, dinner was surprisingly uneventful. My hosts and I didn’t share a common language, so I was not obliged to talk with them. The tutor refrained from religious #sparring, though he started a conversation. Whether it was to trip me up or he was genuinely seeking information, I never knew. He began by asking, “What news have the Marseille Copts received of the Crusades?”

“That Salah ad-Din had retaken the Jerusalem, but that a vast host of English and Frankish soldiers are poised to retake it at any moment,” I said. “We hadn’t learned that Cyprus had been seized, or that Richard had sold it to the Templars.”

“And what do you think of the holy war?”

Rather than answering the more fraught question of my personal opinion, I chose to answer the question: “What did my community think?”

“Many hope to see the lands in Christian hands, and others are just glad to be rid of those whose violence spills into the streets of our cities.”

My host said something to the tutor, who fell silent, giving me a #break from the questioning.

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#TimeTravelingGhost EP 10: Post 104 1191, Nicosia, Cyprus

#Wss366 catch #TimeTravelAuthors 05/31. Author’s choice

There wasn’t much more to say after Emily finished her report, so I knelt on cushions in front of the Theotokos icon to meditate. The practice would be beneficial and help support my role as a devoted Copt. It would be a disaster if they #caught me talking to an unseen “demonic presence.”

Speaking of Emily, she drifted off to keep watch on the family while I meditated.

Later, a polite knock on the door signaled I was wanted. I rose, made the sign of the cross before the icon, and followed the servant to a long room with a low table, surrounded by chairs and stools.

In one corner stood an image of the Theotokos and a lamp. I bowed to it, crossing myself, careful to do it as I had before. As long as I was consistent, my prior error would be written off as a difference in tradition.

The servant showed me to a chair to my host’s right, across from his wife. After the three of us were seated, Zoé, the daughter, and her tutor took places lower down the table.

At my place were three white flowers. I picked one up and touched it to my forehead and said, “Three for the Holy Trinity: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. May Christ bless this house.” I hoped this formula would pass as suitable behavior for a foreigner from far Marseille.

My gamble was that it would cement my position with the daughter without tipping my hand that I knew where the flowers came from. Even before being translated, I judged by the family’s reaction that I had pleased Zoé, who blushed, as well as the quietly smiling mother. The tutor frowned but added no comment, while the father watched with interest. He had shrewd eyes, but I saw no overt hostility in them.

Following my performance, my host, with the scholar translating, was the first to speak. “We welcome you to the house of Delphinas. The presence of such a pious pilgrim honors us. I hope the humble repast we have prepared will please you.”

His tone seemed genuine, and I relaxed a little.

While he spoke, a servant presented me with a shallow, cobalt-blue bowl and a linen towel. I held out my hands, and the servant poured cool, lemon-scented water over them and dried them.

That done, the tutor translated the host’s question, “Will you bless the house, holy pilgrim?”

I crossed myself. This was what I was most worried about: tripping myself up here with formal prayer. Anything I offered would sound Western and/or modern. Instead, I gracefully passed on the duty, saying, “I am honored, but perhaps this is a good time for the young lady to demonstrate her knowledge and gladden her parents before God.”

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#Airisu: The Crow and the Witch

Okiku Part II (Airisu POV): Post 43 Part 2
#Wss366 Spit #TimeTravelAuthors Whatever

“He is an ally,” the shaman said. “After a mob executed him, malice drove his spirit to cause floods and famine along the entire length of the Koma River. I tamed and bound him to a shrine, where he is now honored. For this, I am called Seirei-tsukai or Seirei no onna.”

I stretched out a wing, preening as if to say, “Look, Mistress, how clever I am!”

Next, I asked, “And that’s what you were referring to when you said, ‘He had finally listened.’ You meant, ‘Dōken-Shin sent me and my mistress?’”

“Yes, though my voice has weakened, I hoped he would obey. He was always an upright man, upholding his liege’s honor.”

This time I crowed out loud, “See, Mistress, we are here on the kami’s behalf. Don’t let him convince you he's doing you a favor.”

“Huh?” she said.

I didn’t explain. Instead, I hopped onto Mistress’s shoulder and resumed interrogating Seirei-onna. “How close was Sumika-sama to the truth? How far have things progressed?”

“I don’t know,” the woman said. Then she paused as a coughing fit bent her double. When she recovered, she #spat into the fire before continuing. “The lord pursued her, and I could see no good coming of it. The ox bones tell of tragedy. But what can I do about it? I can’t find my way off this mountain; the fog is too thick. And when it parts, so the stars are visible, they are all wrong, leading me off the path. The pages of my book have faded, and of my spirits only Dōken-Shin answers when I call. And he just tells me to wait.”

Sumika and I stared at the grimoire the shaman pulled from a bag. It was a twin to the one Mistress had found at her bookstore.

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#Airisu: The Crow and the Witch

Okiku Part II (Airisu POV): Post 43 Part 1
#Wss366 Spit #TimeTravelAuthors Whatever

Sumika’s version of Banchō Sarayashiki was muddled, but essentially correct. And there were her dreams, which definitely pointed to Okiku becoming a counting-obsessed onryō. Depending on how far events had progressed, we needed to either prevent the plate’s theft or reconcile Okiku to her fate.

Before returning to the Edo-era, I’d assumed it was the former, that it was another gift from Dōken-Shin, the romantic girlfriend Sumika dreamed of. But what if this was actually paying off part of our debt? If he owed the old woman, then we were acting as his agent.

I almost crowed; it was a wonderful theory! There was no way my mistress would gain a lover from this adventure. Honor prevented Okiku from abandoning her fiancé for someone else. The shaman was clear on that. The maiden had died a horrible death rather than dishonor herself.

Both stories and Sumika’s dream told of Okiku's murder. I bet we would be dealing with a vengeful ghost. And I ask you, what kind of relationship can you have with an onryō? That isn’t something that a vengeful spirit is capable of. Besides, Mistress might be silly, but she wasn’t a total pigeon. Not even she would want to be lovers with an Edo-era, grudge-bound ghost.

I cocked an eye at her. “Would she? No, impossible!”

I cackled to myself. Boy, was I glad I’d ceased to be a human, homo-messy-us. This was just the kind of screwed-up disaster they were prone to.

Despite Mistress’s instructions, I couldn’t keep silent any longer and burst out, “What’s your relationship with Dōken-Shin?”

Sumika glared at me, but did I care? Contrariwise, I was the brains of this team.

#TootFic #Crows #Otherkin #Fantasy #UrbanFantasy #Serial #SlowBurn #Yuri #NMFic #TimeTravel

#Airisu: The Crow and the Witch

Banchō Sarayashiki (Sumika POV): Post 42
#Wss366 Quarry #TimeTravelAuthors Whatever

The woman examined the crow carefully, then nodded. "If your tsukai speaks the truth, I will release my quarry. Now, tell me the rest of the story. The crow says you are not done."

There isn't much more, and I'm sorry to have to relate it. Okiku couldn’t rest. The grudge she bore was so great that she haunted the well as an onryō, loudly counting the plates at night. When she reached the last and missing tenth plate, she screamed so horribly that anyone who heard it was said to go mad.

Eventually, a priest came, and as she reached nine, he shouted “Ten!” dispelling her.

“That’s it,” I said. “I think I’ve mixed different versions together, but the stories are similar in how Okiku meets her end and how she haunts the castle.”

“And the Lord?” the witch asked.

“The tales vary, but most agree he escaped unpunished,” I said. “It’s very unfair.”

“In tatters, in tatters. His honor was in tatters,” Airisu cawed.

The woman nodded, but remained silent. Then, with a sigh, she dished out a stew of grain and wild greens. Then, finally, said, “I doubt such a trick would dispel a grudge-bound spirit, but let us eat while I consider.”

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#Airisu: The Crow and the Witch

Banchō Sarayashiki (Sumika POV): Post 41
#Wss366 Cable #TimeTravelAuthors Whatever

I hated to resume the story. The romance I sensed between the witch and Okiku should have had a happy ending, but only tragedy lay ahead. I pretended to sip my tea, now grown cold, and then began again:

“All would have been well for Okiku,” I continued, “if Aoyama had been content with that. But instead, he devised a plan to trap the maiden. When she was away, he hid one of the ten plates.”

When he called for them to be shown to him, Okiku was horrified to find only nine. She counted them over and over, but no matter how many times she did this, the tenth plate was always missing.

It was a sorrowful maiden who presented the remaining plates to Aoyama, for she knew the penalty for losing a plate was to be beheaded.

Instead of anger, the lord’s face bore a crafty look. His expression soon turned to rage when she declined his offer of “clemency.” That fury blossomed, turning into a beating, and finally, when she still refused him, he dragged her into the courtyard and hung her over a well.

“This is your last chance,” he raged. “Who are you to refuse me?” She met his demands with silence.

Infuriated, he dunked her into the well, nearly drowning her. When even that failed to break Okiku’s determination, with one final slash, Lord Aoyama severed the rope, and she plummeted to her death.

The witch held up her hand for me to stop; her face had grown grim. With a shaky hand, she poured more tea and threw grain for my familiar. When she’d calmed herself, she spoke. “It is as I feared. She acquitted herself well to the end. A vine #cable could not have been stronger than her honor. No shame will ever be attached to her name. Alas, if I were younger, I would avenge this slight. If her betrothed fails in his duty, then I’ll haunt both him and Aoyama.”

I trembled. This was not why I had come. Instead of rescuing Okiku, I was only bringing tragedy. The ghosts threatened to multiply. I looked pleadingly at Airisu and mouthed, “Do I have to finish my tale?”

“Go on,” she cawed. “The rest is sorrowful enough, but there is no need for the good lady to stain her karma with it. The taint lies upon the house of Aoyama. Even dead at the bottom of a well, Okiku’s name endured unclouded—besides, we’re here to rescue her!”

With these last words, Airisu fluffed up her feathers and strutted across the floor. At a less solemn time, I would have laughed.

#TootFic #Crows #Otherkin #Fantasy #UrbanFantasy #Serial #SlowBurn #Yuri #Folklore #NMFic #TimeTravel

#TimeTravelingGhost EP 10: Post 103 1191, Nicosia, Cyprus

#Wss366 Stream #TimeTravelAuthors 05/27. Wednesday POST-SIZED snippet (optional word: clever/smart)

While waiting for Emily to return, I reviewed what I knew about twelfth-century Christianity, particularly Byzantine and Coptic traditions. It took far less time than I would have preferred.

After exhausting my knowledge of Eastern Orthodox faiths, I sat back and enjoyed the evening breeze #streaming in off the veranda. The faint mix of citrus and blooming flowers was relaxing, and I fell into a reverie.

I could see Emily grimacing as she lost a trick at pinochle or laughing as she beat me at cards. It was the same smile she would flash when I snuck her a tidbit of food in a restaurant. Her smiles were generous. There was nothing shy about them, with a boldness that was unafraid to break into a grin or a grimace. She was a #clever woman, quick with snark or a witty comeback. Except for that hint of jealousy I’d seen, she made a great travel companion.

I was lost in those thoughts until she returned with news.

“The girl’s name is Zoe, and she’s quite taken with you. She even picked some white flowers for you. She swears she saw you walk through the courtyard wall, a miracle. The tutor has tried to dissuade her from this, but she insists. She calls you a saint and says she wants to be a nun. She has a bit of spirit, that one. The father seemed tolerant but not thrilled by this.”

She paused.

“….”

“There was brief talk of you being a demon, and even though they haven’t mentioned the mask, they have noticed and wonder what it signifies.”

“It’s good that you signed yourself and prayed to the icon of the Theotokos. That, along with your ‘saintly’ carriage, has convinced them to accept you as a foreign pilgrim blessed by the saints. The mother compared you to a desert hermit who is too pious to show their face. If you’re careful, you may carry it off.”

“I see,” I said. “Overall, that’s good. Let me adjust this mask to be more humble.” So saying, I roughened the mask, obliterating the smile and other embellishments; leaving only the crown of thorns.

Emily nodded and then suddenly said, “Oh, and they are planning to fete you. Sometimes I wish I had a material body like yours.”

“I’ll get you a doggy bag,” I said as she finished up.

“Charming.”

It was my turn to laugh. Her wrinkled nose was so cute.

#TootFic #NMFic #TimeTravel #HistoricalFantasy #UrbanFantasy #Mythpunk #Serial #Slowburn #Yuri

#Airisu: The Crow and the Witch

Banchō Sarayashiki (Sumika POV): Post 40
#Wss366 Wilt #TimeTravelAuthors Whatever

“I will do my best, Holy One,” I said. “There are many versions of the tale, and I don’t know which one is correct.”

The witch sat across from me. The firelight reflected on her face, giving it a deceptive ruddy glow, even though I knew she was very sick. Airisu had stopped pecking at the grain and was looking between us intently. I was pleased that she hadn’t said anything rude so far.

“So, she is well remembered,” the woman said. “Tell whichever version you please.”

“I’m sure to mix the stories up,” I said.

The witch coughed and waved her hand dismissively, so I took heart and began.

In Himeji Castle, there was a beautiful lady-in-waiting named Okiku. It was her duty to care for a precious set of ten plates. This was a great honor, showing her breeding and how much her lord, Aoyama, valued her. But the lord’s feelings didn’t end there. He lusted after her and wished to make her his concubine.

Okiku #wilted under his attentions and refused his many advances, spurning both offered rewards and threatened punishments, for she was betrothed to a samurai named Takesune and remained faithful to him.

I stopped, first looking at the woman and then at Airisu, and asked, “How am I doing?”

Airisu made a funny, unbird-like gesture that resembled a shrug. I'd need to reward her later for keeping silent as I had directed.

For her part, the witch said, “Good enough. Okiku was fonder of me than of any man." A gentle smile stole over her face, and her eyes grew distant. "But she had been promised, and no pleading would turn her from the path laid before her. We were as husband and wife in all but name, yet she had her duties and I mine. How then would Lord Aoyama ensnare her?”

A cough interrupted the witch’s speech. Wiping her lips, she said, “Continue.”

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