So happy to be here
Cinderella
When Sirius was brought into this world it was declared that he was a boy! In Sirius’ opinion this was only somewhat true. He felt like a boy some days, others she felt more so like a girl and of course there were the days they felt they fell somewhere in between. Sirius was born into the noble and ancient most house of Black and just by ‘luck’ happened to be the heir of the entire fortune, until Orion Black disappeared into the night with said fortune, or rather most of it. Many speculated as to where he went and why it was he left in the first place, but no one knew the truth, not even Sirius theirself.
Since Orion left, Sirius became more rebellious. Seen as the head of the house he drank most nights, paid for company and she bought a lot of dresses which displeased Walburga Black. Walburga’s shame grew and when her shame grew her temper grew, the abuse started almost overnight. Sirius went from being the heir of house Black to the servant of such, their brother Regulus is who Walburga turned all her attention to who was a ‘much better son’ in her opinion. She trained Regulus up in all she could, planning for him to marry a rich woman, and obtain money via the family name/status. Sirius had to cook all the meals for his mother and brother, she had to do all the cleaning and animal care.
Her paintings were often stolen by his mother and brother and sold in the market for money. Sirius felt at a loss, their only friend being a little rat named Wormtail that they were more often than not at odds with. The brother that once looked up to her that she once adored turned cold, changed towards him, he loved Regulus and she despised him. That was supposed to be the one constant person in Sirius’ life: their brother, first best friend, last best friend. The one person bound by blood to be with Sirius until the end of time, who now treated her like dirt on his shiny overpriced shoe that Walburga must have stolen or sold herself for because there is no way they can afford that. Sirius has seen what's left in the vault and if she doesn’t marry Regulus off soon. The three of them will surely starve.
“You need to tend to the horses,” his brother said in monotone,
“Whatever,” Sirius responded, fixing on her dress she sowed out of her fathers old curtains.
“Do not speak to me way, you will tend to the animals and you will get that foolish attire off you,”
“Yes,”
“Yes?”
“Yes, sir,” Sirius snarled. Regulus shook his head and slammed the door, leaving them wanting to scream, how can time do this? How can it change everything this much? Reggie was his whole world and it’s come crumbling down and now Regulus like something from his worst nightmares.
Maybe if she screamed loud enough it would tear the whole world apart, maybe it would place her in a new one entirely
Rapunzel
Pandora had been separated from her twin since she was five and though she was turning twenty one tomorrow she remembered her Evan every single day. She remembered his bouncy afro which she used to say that it matched hers, though hers was blonde and his was dark. In truth that was not the only difference as hers grew out faster and longer until it was much longer and she began to braid it. It now went all the way to the other side of the room and almost reached the end of the tower, her mother Walburga often threatened that she was going to begin climbing it. Pandora had to hold back her thoughts and not let them escape her lips when she would say that.
She loved her mother, she knew she kept her safe, but her mother was not always a nice person. The things she would say would sometimes be unkind and it made Pandora sad, Pandora remembered she once had a different mother, she was not sure how much of her she remembered. It was solely Evan she remembered from back then, she feels the two of them were built from the same dirt, they came into the world together because something connected them. He was all she remembered and she wanted to find him.
Walburga told her Evan had been taken away and she was able to save Pandora from the pirates and couldn’t save her twin. She seemed very remorseful about this, it was one of the few things she seemed genuinely remorseful for, a redeeming quality in Pandora’s eyes. Sometimes if Pandora was lucky Walburga would bring Regulus to have tea with her. These were her most favourite days. She was aware that Regulus was not her biological brother but she feels the stardust in which he was made up from, brought out a shine in her too also. Like they were able to transfer energies when in each other's presence and his energy complimented hers and vice versa. Maybe this was what the books talked about when they mentioned the term ‘soulmates’
Pandora firmly believed soulmates do not require romantic connections to be valid. He is her soulmate, her platonic one. Evan is her soulmate, in terms of family, Kreacher the cat is a shared soulmate of hers and Regulus, an animal one (who low-key preferred Regulus but she did not mind) she may one day find a romantic one. If she was ever allowed to leave the tower, some days she worried she would never ever be allowed to and that felt enough to push her into flinging herself from it.
No one likes to feel trapped, no one likes to feel caged in. Pandora feels she was built to wander, to fall in love with different cities and cultures. To explore, to feel streams and the earth between her fingers. She was supposed to travel by boats and forage for berries and make her own way in the world. Yet she was forced to see it all via the pages in her novels, Regulus loved to read and often would give her his books when finished with them but he enjoyed them and was happy enough to stay put she enjoyed them and then wanted to go and live them.
Two caged birds, one a homebird and one destined to fly, doesn’t everyone deserve that chance? … to fly?
She feels like someone told her that lately.. Maybe it was in a dream.
The swan princess
Every summer since she was twelve, Dorcas travelled across the seas to spend time in Thailand with the prince who she betrothed to. She knew she was not set to marry him until she turned 23 which was exactly a week from today. Arriving back in Thailand for the first time she was twenty. A lot had changed and yet so much had stayed the same. Memories danced in her mind. The first three summers she spent in Thailand, the prince was alright. Being twelve-fourteen Dorcas did not ponder too much on how they would one day be wed or the romantic aspect of it. She was happy enough to just hang out with him. Benjy was a nice boy and the two got on. His cousin Emmeline was more fun to hang out with though, she would spend hours sneaking off to the shade and just discussing everything with Emmeline.
The problem lay with Marlene Mckinnon. Marlene was a friend of both Prince Benjy and his cousin Emmeline who arrived each summer from Scotland, her mother being Scottish but her dad from Thailand and used to work for the king in his youth. She and her two brothers would often be hanging around and her entire existence would irritate Dorcas. She couldn’t believe she would be stuck with her all summer! Also Marlene made a stupid comment calling Dorcas conceded. Did she even know what that word ment? In her opinion Marlene Mckinnon didn’t look as though she so much as owned a dictionary. So, she hasn’t a right to call anyone, anything. She likely has not the slightest clue of what she is talking about.
By the time she was seventeen Marleen seemed to finally return the dislike Dorcas held for her.
“She asked me to dress as an elf with her for some festival, is she having a laugh?” Marlene scoffed, Dorcas hid behind a pillar,
“Well I did invite you both to the festival,” Emmeline pointed out, “What is the big deal about going as an elf, it fits the theme this year!”
“I won’t be talked into playing dress up,” Marlene gritted out, “Especially by the likes of her,”
“The likes of her? She is a princess,” Emmeline snorted,
“Yeah but - ugh. I just mean don’t you see her flirting with the castle guards!”
“I think you might somewhat like her.” Emmeline pointed out, Marlene made a strangled sort of noise and began shaking her head frantically. “Fess up,”
“I think Marls would like her a hell of a lot better if Dorcas would ever lose at cards,” her brother jumped out of nowhere and put Marlene into a headlock and she began fussing and trying to escape. Dorcas chuckled and slipped away, every time she won and overhearing that conversation and knowing she got under Mckinnon’s skin seemed like another Victory.
Here she was not far off 23 and had arrived in Thailand only this time she would not return back to her home country, she had not been here even for the summer for the last three years and Benjy had joined Dorcas in her home country then.
“Did ye hear they made me a guard,” came a familiar Scottish voice, Dorcas rolled her eyes she had heard that indeed. She thought it was a horrifying idea, they could get much better guards for a palace she was sure because Marlene was just so immature. She turned round to tell her as much but she saw her smiling and her knees to her horror started bucking.
“Christ Meadowes you became a wee bit of a swan didn’t ye,” Marlene held her sword tightly, eyes softening as the two women faced each other. “Not that ye were ever an ugly duckling to be fair though,” she wrinkled her nose. “But ah it’s good to have you back,”
“So happy to be here,” Dorcas said softly.