Whispers of Fire Ch12 bit – Big Brother

~ crossovercreativechaos

Dark eyes were staring at her. Angry; but a familiar kind of angry, so familiar it made her eyes sting with homesick tears. “Do you need to kill something?”

Cassim’s jaw dropped. “What- you-”

“It’s just you look so much like Kouha when he hasn’t had any bandits to kill for a while,” Kougyoku said in a rush. “And I don’t care how many people say he’s crazy, he’s really really sweet and he takes care of all the outcast tribes and he never kills people who don’t deserve it. He’s the best big brother ever!” She reddened, realizing what she’d just said. “I mean, of course Prince Kouen and Prince Koumei are more important, and they’ve been so generous to us letting Judar guide us to Dungeons too, even when Vinea and Leraje wanted us instead of Prince Kouen… but they’re so important they’re hard to know. Kouha spends time with me. He taught me to really fight!”

Cassim was still staring at her. Oh no; she’d done something wrong, said something wrong, years of Ka Kobun helping her and she still couldn’t get being a princess right….

“…Don’t cry?”

Kougyoku tried to hide a sniffle, and grabbed up a hand-towel to hide her face. “Of course I’m not crying!” She scrubbed at her eyes; carefully, formal makeup was horrible to mess up. “I’m just trying to serve the Emperor and be like my brother and get Balbadd into the Empire without anyone getting killed! I know Judar likes war, and that’s okay – but war between people who want to fight! Balbadd’s a city, full of all kinds of children and mothers and old grannies and they shouldn’t be in a war, that’s just too sad….”

28 thoughts on “Whispers of Fire Ch12 bit – Big Brother”

  1. Aww, Kougyoku, there’s a reason you’re my favourite. Come over here, let me give you a hug *glomps*

    I kind of really feel for poor Cassim. From what I’ve gathered from these snippets his entire life has become one big, repetitive mantra of _what the hell_

    Well, I’m not sure what it’s like in whatever time zone you’re in, but I have like a day and a half of freedom left before NaNo, so good luck to you as well for the coming month!

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

  2. I think Cassim’s WTF meter is going to be broken by the time this King-induced insanity is over.

    Ja’far: Welcome to the ‘Normal people caught up in King-adventures’ club.
    Masrur: It also doubles as a support group.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

    1. Except of course that Judar decided that Cassim is King material… he doesn’t (necessarily) need a support group (bar his gang) to cope with the insanity lol – by the time it’s over he’ll have joined in causing it. After all helping it along is really the only way to keep at least some of his own sanity.

      Though I rather dont think Ja’far will thank him for that…

      Liked by 2 people

      Reply

      1. Ja’far is going need a vacation after this. Dealing with his own King and his insanity, two other Kings and their insanity plus one-King-as-soon-as-Judar-can-get-him-into-a-Dungeon and his insanity, two Magi, etc cannot be good for his ulcer.

        (My advice, Ja’far, is make sure they all have their own wranglers so they most definitely someone else’s problem and therefore not ours. And then restrict their play-dates with Sinbad to the minimum necessary to save the world.)

        Liked by 1 person

      4. Ja’far will need to clue in Hassan and Zainab. Those poor kids….

        Especially when they realize that Ja’far was not joking when he told them to expect the amount of trouble that Cassim just seem to stumble into it to double. Minimum. It might be worse.

        *stares in disbelief*
        “I told you. It is frankly astonishing just how much trouble they can manage to keep themselves into.”
        “B-but surely that’s your crazy king.”
        “All kings are crazy. Every single, last one of them. That includes yours. Besides they don’t have to go looking for trouble. Trouble finds them. If you don’t believe me, just look at Alibaba. Not even trying most of the time and look much trouble he gets into.”
        *looks horrified*

        Liked by 2 people

      1. Yes it is. Just about as scary as your above thought about how well Hakuryuu and Cassim might get along. Or worse, the combination of those two thoughts . . .

        It’s another moment where the bunnies can’t decide whether it is too scary to think about or just incredibly awesome. Bloodthirsty creatures that they are, they are leaning toward awesome.

        Liked by 1 person

  3. Awwww Kougyoku . . . nice sentiment but even people who don’t want to fight will if you corner them and force yourself on them . . . which is exactly what the Empire does. And then you add insult to injury by treating anyone who isn’t Kou like they incapable of doing anything of importance because only Kou gets to do that. Bet you a lot of money if you could talk to the ordinary citizens of some of your “provinces” where they didn’t know who you were and could be persuaded to speak freely, you would NOT be hearing a lot of complimentary remarks about the Empire or your family.

    You don’t have an Empire. You have a time bomb of seething resentment and despair that Al-Thamen is just waiting to go off.

    Kouha is a good big brother. Are certain character taking notes? *glares in their direction, they know who they are*

    And Kougyoku, Vinea and Leraje might have reasons for dismissing Kouen. Good thing you are going to be able to talk to Vinea soonish . . .

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    1. So many of Al-Thamen’s plans are going to be blasted into particulates once Kouen gets what he //really// wants. …I think. I hope. I would not be surprised if Al-Themen has backups to their backups.

      Liked by 2 people

      Reply

  4. If there were such things as record players in Magi’verse, Cassim would have a broken one going: “But… but nobles… but… but they don’t… but but but…” And if/when it finally got unstuck there would be a loud, blaring, “What the &*$?!” at its conclusion.

    Its so much //fun// watching you connect clue by 4s to well deserving heads. *munches popcorn*

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    1. Nah, clue-bats are what you use on Alibaba and Aladdin whereas for Cassim we need a ClueCannon. I’m thinking 16 or 18 inch caliber guns should do the trick.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

Leave a comment