Tin Man: Letter Read (3/?)
Title: Letter Read
Author: Vashti
Fandom: Tin Man
Character(s): DG, Cain, mentions of everyone, OCs
Length: 2,000 words give or take
Rating: PG-13
Summary: In a distant future, all that will be left for one of Queen Dorothigale's descendants are letters read.
Disclaimer: Tin Man is owned by a host of people who are not me. I am making no profit, nor seek to. The title "Letter Read" and most of the wording for the summary are from Rachael Yamagata's "Letter Read." I am also completely stealing the idea that DG is short for Dorothigale from chibi_kaz who says I shouldn't sing her praises anymore. pfft.
Author's Note: This is a work in progress. I have a vague idea of where it's going (always essential to one of my stories) but I don't know how or when or how fast it's going to get there. If for some strange reason, you happen to like, please feel free to poke me at will if/when I slow down. "Annual" numbers correspond to years since the Cains left the service of the royal family.
AN2: Thanks to everyone at ohzeebooks still (because I'll be thanking you guys until the end of time, truth to tell). Thanks to everyone who reviewed the first part. You guys are made of awesome. Please, please, please feel free to critique my DG and Cain voices. I am perpetually paranoid. And please, please, please feel free to spot-beta any and all issues you see. While fawning adoration is craved appreciated, editor-ing is prized.
Chapter 1: Annual One: January to March, March to April
Chapter 1: Annual One: May to June
§§§
5/1
Princess,
Bound and determined to get a long letter out of me, aren’t you? Fine. You win. This time. Don’t plan on sending multiple letters all at once working again.
So…
Already said my piece about Jayson, and about the Lord Jerk and won’t go into again.
The Dress: I’m sure you were beautiful. In all of your dresses. I can’t imagine either the Queen or your sister would let you out in public looking anything less.
The Suitors: It might help if you keep a pistol in your purse. Unloaded. You just want to scandalize’em, not cause an incident. If you do it, this is not advice you got from me.
The Nobility: You’re the Crown Princess. Short of bankrupting the country and not letting them in on it, there’s not much you can do that they won’t get over pretty quick. ‘Course as I’m reviewing your letters I don’t see that you mentioned them at all. But I’d be surprised they weren’t on your mind.
Fifteen years, cycles, whatever: They’re called annuals, sweetheart. And no one’s expecting you to change overnight. Maybe in their heart of hearts, but I think most are just happy to have you home and see that you’re trying. Your family loves you and your people love you. There’s neither one that won’t give you the time you need. But you’ve got to remember your own words. It’s been fifteen annuals, kid. Even if you remembered your entire childhood, that’s all it was. Just your childhood. You did all your growing on the Other Side. Now you’ve got to learn to do your living here. If that’s what you’ve set yourself to do. And it seems like it is.
“Fox”: Used to call Adora that all the time.
Your father’s choice in men: Ahamo’s a good man and trustworthy. He’s only got your best interest at heart and always has. If you find yourself startin’ to think on someone with any kind of seriousness, I’d run’im by him. I’m not sayin’ every guy he pushes on you is going to be Mr. Perfect, but I doubt you’ll need to pull a firearm on him either.
Your sister’s choice in men: Older siblings have a perverse sense of humor when it comes to their younger sibling’s relationships. Least that’s how it was in my family. Keep the firearm handy.
Us: Jeb and Amalie are all right, though I expect you know that already I didn’t know mail could move across the Zone that fast. Spring’s coming so things are starting to bloom, crops are starting to poke their heads up outta the ground and folks around here generally start getting itchy. I keep getting ready to give the kids advice but then they work it out before I’m even sure of what the problem is. Two years just hasn’t been enough time.
Unsolicited advice: Lay off the sugar.
-Cain
May 13th
Dear Mr. Cain,
It’s a good thing you send your letters (two!) with Amalie or we would have totally crossed in the mail. Heck, I’d still be waiting another couple of days by my math. And it probably helps that I sent your letters with Ami’s package because you’d still be waiting for your set. Really if you weren’t so dead set against magical delivery this whole letter exchange could take a couple of days (it’s takes me a while to remember to send) instead of a couple of weeks. But fine, whatever, what do I know.
And lay off the sugar, my left foot! It’s caffeine or sugar (I’m not allowed to have both anymore except in my first cup of joe) and there’s no way I’m making it through the day without one or the other.
So as you probably know already I was sick. Sick! I’ll have you know that the roborents had me immunized against measles, mumps and rubella, and then I actually managed to avoid getting chicken pox, don’t ask me how, only to come here and get, like, the OZ version of same. Why do I say the OZ version of the dreaded pox? Because when it came out in my last year of junior high that I’d never had the pox the high school wouldn’t let me in without getting a vaccine. Which, of course, I got despite assuring my parents the ‘rents that I didn’t really need any more schooling than what I could learn in a garage. A vaccine that I lost an entire weekend too, please let me add. Why? Because, apparently, I’m mildly allergic to the chicken pox vaccine and so it made my upper arm swell up like a nerf baseball bat. Or a club. Or whatever inordinately large stick-y thingy you guys have over here. Don’t you have baseball? I could have sworn I saw Father and bunch one of the courtiers sitting around talking about runs and stuff. Do they have runs in cricket? Geez that just sounds wrong.
Anyway, the point is I suffered for that stupid chicken pox vaccine. Only to get the pox here!!! Argh! Grr! Some days it seems like nothing about the Zone is working in my favor.
On the other hand I did get to miss out on the closing ball of the season. You have no idea how relieved I was. Okay, maybe you have a very small idea, but the full impression of my joy and…and…overwhelming happiness was big. Huge. I mean by then I’d gotten the OZ version of a vaccine (Mother’s light-enhanced hand on my forehead and a kiss, and some chicken soup from the Mominator just to make sure it all stuck) which was so much better than the Other Side version. Did I mention that the same weekend I had the monster-arm, my best friend’s family came to visit and her evil cousin punched me in the monster-arm? If I had been able to stand up straight I would have laid him out. As it was I had to wait until the end of summer when his family came back around.
Anyway, back to the story: So…missed the closing ball, got fussed over by two moms in a good way, got to spend major quality time with everyone (except you and Jeb, you big…annoying people) and only had a temperature of 100 degrees for a day or two. It was great!
I’m guessing you don’t want to hear about me and Amalie hanging out together before I came down with the OZ-pox, so I’ll spare you that. Um…what else…? Introduced Ami to Jayson when we went down to see Glitch (his lab staff is still unhappy with me. You blow up one lab and ruin a handful of ongoing experiments and suddenly you’re persona get-outta). She thought he was okay when she could understand what he was talking about. I’m telling you, I don’t know who’s going to be more sad when Jayson has to back to wherever it is that he comes from: him or Glitch. I would have added myself to the list, b/c you can never have enough safe ports in a storm, but now that dancing season’s over I can back down my attachment a notch or four.
Of course, if dancing season’s over you’re probably wondering what the heck Jayson’s still doing in town. I actually don’t know. But his dad and brother’s still here, so maybe they stayed for, like, official stuff. And you know all sorts of things go on in Central City during the Spring and Summer. Maybe they have rounds to make or something. I swear I do not remember him existing before this year. Oh well. Like he said, it was his brother that was foisted off on me last year so this was probably our first time, like, seriously meeting and talking and stuff. Luckily his brother’s this close to getting married to some noble or other (whose name I should probably know) and thus I’m saved.
Um, what else?
I’m finally starting to feel better. Amalie was great, fantastic company. But it only made me miss the Cain men more so you and Jeb have to gout get out of your little corner of the universe and come back and see us! I’m not the only one who misses you, y’know. I’m sure there’s a whole contingent of Tin Men who miss you. And don’t think I don’t know that the letters Shane sends you every week are full of “How in the world did you handle her? Where do we go wrong? Why do you hate us so much?” I know Shane and Terry-Ann really appreciated that week they got to spend training with you (really, am I that bad?) but I bet the other guards would like some Cain-quality time too.
Great, I’m starting to sound like a really pitiful brochure. “Come see lovely Central City. We miss you. We need you. Save us from psychotic princesses!”
Sincerely,
DG
5/16
DG,
Nothing’s wrong with the Ozian mail.
Amalie told us all about “the pox.” Sounds like you’re a miserable patient, kid, despite all the “good” mothering you got.
The kids appreciate the pictures. Jeb and Amalie didn’t have except for what was taken at the wedding. Jeb keeps one handy of Amalie all dressed up.
See what you mean about Az. I can tell which balls Amalie attended by whether or not Azkadellia’s smiling. Girl’s something special, sure. Don’t know how my heard-headed son won her over. But Az needs to get more involved. I know you know. I’m just sayin’.
-Cain
June 6th
Dear Mr. Cain,
In your last letter you said that Az should get more involved. And I totally agree. I just don’t know if it’s gonna work. Or how it’s gonna work. Because she can’t stay cooped up in the palace all the time. It’s gonna drive her schizoid. As if she doesn’t have enough problems as it is.
Anyway, all I know is that my sister has a broken leg (which she refuses to let mother fix the magical way) because her horse, which was checked that very morning by our groomsman, threw her. And why did it throw her? Because it had lost a shoe out of nowhere. Some people say accident. I say clever assassination attempt. Which is freaking scary.
Mad as Heck,
DG
June 7th
Dear Mr. Cain,
Before you totally freak out, here’s stuff from Dad and Captain Adderton with all the new security measures and stuff. Unfortunately they call for a lot more inside-time for Az. Grr!
Sincerely,
DG
June 7th again,
Okay so it was a freak accident. But we can’t keep living like this. Az can’t keep living like this. We’re having a big meeting tomorrow-Mother, Dad, Az, Glitch, Captain Adderton and three of his lieutenants-to figure out what we can do so that Az can have more freedom without freely giving someone a chance to kill her. Did I mention that assassination attempts were never mentioned in any of the Disney movies as possible hazards of becoming a princess.
Az is more withdrawn than ever. After I fired off my note to you I spent most of the morning with her. I tried talking but she wasn’t really holding up her end of the conversation very well. She didn’t look sad or out of it, but really, really thoughtful. Which, I am learning, can be really bad.
I don’t know what to do.
DG
6/23
DG,
Course you’re frustrated, kid. And mad enough to spit. Do it, too, if someone gets close enough.
I also know the OZ’s got a long way to go before it heals. Attempts on Azkadellia’s life are part of it. Not that it’s right. I still say we shoulda hanged the bastard that tried to shoot her from the wall.
Take a page from the Queen. It’s not easy, but forgiving never is. The OZ can’t be torn apart by war. Again.
Azkadellia already knows, and that’s she’s thinking so hard. Just make sure not to leave her alone too much.
-Cain
(tbc)
Author: Vashti
Fandom: Tin Man
Character(s): DG, Cain, mentions of everyone, OCs
Length: 2,000 words give or take
Rating: PG-13
Summary: In a distant future, all that will be left for one of Queen Dorothigale's descendants are letters read.
Disclaimer: Tin Man is owned by a host of people who are not me. I am making no profit, nor seek to. The title "Letter Read" and most of the wording for the summary are from Rachael Yamagata's "Letter Read." I am also completely stealing the idea that DG is short for Dorothigale from chibi_kaz who says I shouldn't sing her praises anymore. pfft.
Author's Note: This is a work in progress. I have a vague idea of where it's going (always essential to one of my stories) but I don't know how or when or how fast it's going to get there. If for some strange reason, you happen to like, please feel free to poke me at will if/when I slow down. "Annual" numbers correspond to years since the Cains left the service of the royal family.
AN2: Thanks to everyone at ohzeebooks still (because I'll be thanking you guys until the end of time, truth to tell). Thanks to everyone who reviewed the first part. You guys are made of awesome. Please, please, please feel free to critique my DG and Cain voices. I am perpetually paranoid. And please, please, please feel free to spot-beta any and all issues you see. While fawning adoration is craved appreciated, editor-ing is prized.
Chapter 1: Annual One: January to March, March to April
Chapter 1: Annual One: May to June
§§§
5/1
Princess,
Bound and determined to get a long letter out of me, aren’t you? Fine. You win. This time. Don’t plan on sending multiple letters all at once working again.
So…
Already said my piece about Jayson, and about the Lord Jerk and won’t go into again.
The Dress: I’m sure you were beautiful. In all of your dresses. I can’t imagine either the Queen or your sister would let you out in public looking anything less.
The Suitors: It might help if you keep a pistol in your purse. Unloaded. You just want to scandalize’em, not cause an incident. If you do it, this is not advice you got from me.
The Nobility: You’re the Crown Princess. Short of bankrupting the country and not letting them in on it, there’s not much you can do that they won’t get over pretty quick. ‘Course as I’m reviewing your letters I don’t see that you mentioned them at all. But I’d be surprised they weren’t on your mind.
Fifteen years, cycles, whatever: They’re called annuals, sweetheart. And no one’s expecting you to change overnight. Maybe in their heart of hearts, but I think most are just happy to have you home and see that you’re trying. Your family loves you and your people love you. There’s neither one that won’t give you the time you need. But you’ve got to remember your own words. It’s been fifteen annuals, kid. Even if you remembered your entire childhood, that’s all it was. Just your childhood. You did all your growing on the Other Side. Now you’ve got to learn to do your living here. If that’s what you’ve set yourself to do. And it seems like it is.
“Fox”: Used to call Adora that all the time.
Your father’s choice in men: Ahamo’s a good man and trustworthy. He’s only got your best interest at heart and always has. If you find yourself startin’ to think on someone with any kind of seriousness, I’d run’im by him. I’m not sayin’ every guy he pushes on you is going to be Mr. Perfect, but I doubt you’ll need to pull a firearm on him either.
Your sister’s choice in men: Older siblings have a perverse sense of humor when it comes to their younger sibling’s relationships. Least that’s how it was in my family. Keep the firearm handy.
Us: Jeb and Amalie are all right, though I expect you know that already I didn’t know mail could move across the Zone that fast. Spring’s coming so things are starting to bloom, crops are starting to poke their heads up outta the ground and folks around here generally start getting itchy. I keep getting ready to give the kids advice but then they work it out before I’m even sure of what the problem is. Two years just hasn’t been enough time.
Unsolicited advice: Lay off the sugar.
-Cain
May 13th
Dear Mr. Cain,
It’s a good thing you send your letters (two!) with Amalie or we would have totally crossed in the mail. Heck, I’d still be waiting another couple of days by my math. And it probably helps that I sent your letters with Ami’s package because you’d still be waiting for your set. Really if you weren’t so dead set against magical delivery this whole letter exchange could take a couple of days (it’s takes me a while to remember to send) instead of a couple of weeks. But fine, whatever, what do I know.
And lay off the sugar, my left foot! It’s caffeine or sugar (I’m not allowed to have both anymore except in my first cup of joe) and there’s no way I’m making it through the day without one or the other.
So as you probably know already I was sick. Sick! I’ll have you know that the roborents had me immunized against measles, mumps and rubella, and then I actually managed to avoid getting chicken pox, don’t ask me how, only to come here and get, like, the OZ version of same. Why do I say the OZ version of the dreaded pox? Because when it came out in my last year of junior high that I’d never had the pox the high school wouldn’t let me in without getting a vaccine. Which, of course, I got despite assuring my parents the ‘rents that I didn’t really need any more schooling than what I could learn in a garage. A vaccine that I lost an entire weekend too, please let me add. Why? Because, apparently, I’m mildly allergic to the chicken pox vaccine and so it made my upper arm swell up like a nerf baseball bat. Or a club. Or whatever inordinately large stick-y thingy you guys have over here. Don’t you have baseball? I could have sworn I saw Father and bunch one of the courtiers sitting around talking about runs and stuff. Do they have runs in cricket? Geez that just sounds wrong.
Anyway, the point is I suffered for that stupid chicken pox vaccine. Only to get the pox here!!! Argh! Grr! Some days it seems like nothing about the Zone is working in my favor.
On the other hand I did get to miss out on the closing ball of the season. You have no idea how relieved I was. Okay, maybe you have a very small idea, but the full impression of my joy and…and…overwhelming happiness was big. Huge. I mean by then I’d gotten the OZ version of a vaccine (Mother’s light-enhanced hand on my forehead and a kiss, and some chicken soup from the Mominator just to make sure it all stuck) which was so much better than the Other Side version. Did I mention that the same weekend I had the monster-arm, my best friend’s family came to visit and her evil cousin punched me in the monster-arm? If I had been able to stand up straight I would have laid him out. As it was I had to wait until the end of summer when his family came back around.
Anyway, back to the story: So…missed the closing ball, got fussed over by two moms in a good way, got to spend major quality time with everyone (except you and Jeb, you big…annoying people) and only had a temperature of 100 degrees for a day or two. It was great!
I’m guessing you don’t want to hear about me and Amalie hanging out together before I came down with the OZ-pox, so I’ll spare you that. Um…what else…? Introduced Ami to Jayson when we went down to see Glitch (his lab staff is still unhappy with me. You blow up one lab and ruin a handful of ongoing experiments and suddenly you’re persona get-outta). She thought he was okay when she could understand what he was talking about. I’m telling you, I don’t know who’s going to be more sad when Jayson has to back to wherever it is that he comes from: him or Glitch. I would have added myself to the list, b/c you can never have enough safe ports in a storm, but now that dancing season’s over I can back down my attachment a notch or four.
Of course, if dancing season’s over you’re probably wondering what the heck Jayson’s still doing in town. I actually don’t know. But his dad and brother’s still here, so maybe they stayed for, like, official stuff. And you know all sorts of things go on in Central City during the Spring and Summer. Maybe they have rounds to make or something. I swear I do not remember him existing before this year. Oh well. Like he said, it was his brother that was foisted off on me last year so this was probably our first time, like, seriously meeting and talking and stuff. Luckily his brother’s this close to getting married to some noble or other (whose name I should probably know) and thus I’m saved.
Um, what else?
I’m finally starting to feel better. Amalie was great, fantastic company. But it only made me miss the Cain men more so you and Jeb have to gout get out of your little corner of the universe and come back and see us! I’m not the only one who misses you, y’know. I’m sure there’s a whole contingent of Tin Men who miss you. And don’t think I don’t know that the letters Shane sends you every week are full of “How in the world did you handle her? Where do we go wrong? Why do you hate us so much?” I know Shane and Terry-Ann really appreciated that week they got to spend training with you (really, am I that bad?) but I bet the other guards would like some Cain-quality time too.
Great, I’m starting to sound like a really pitiful brochure. “Come see lovely Central City. We miss you. We need you. Save us from psychotic princesses!”
Sincerely,
DG
5/16
DG,
Nothing’s wrong with the Ozian mail.
Amalie told us all about “the pox.” Sounds like you’re a miserable patient, kid, despite all the “good” mothering you got.
The kids appreciate the pictures. Jeb and Amalie didn’t have except for what was taken at the wedding. Jeb keeps one handy of Amalie all dressed up.
See what you mean about Az. I can tell which balls Amalie attended by whether or not Azkadellia’s smiling. Girl’s something special, sure. Don’t know how my heard-headed son won her over. But Az needs to get more involved. I know you know. I’m just sayin’.
-Cain
June 6th
Dear Mr. Cain,
In your last letter you said that Az should get more involved. And I totally agree. I just don’t know if it’s gonna work. Or how it’s gonna work. Because she can’t stay cooped up in the palace all the time. It’s gonna drive her schizoid. As if she doesn’t have enough problems as it is.
Anyway, all I know is that my sister has a broken leg (which she refuses to let mother fix the magical way) because her horse, which was checked that very morning by our groomsman, threw her. And why did it throw her? Because it had lost a shoe out of nowhere. Some people say accident. I say clever assassination attempt. Which is freaking scary.
Mad as Heck,
DG
June 7th
Dear Mr. Cain,
Before you totally freak out, here’s stuff from Dad and Captain Adderton with all the new security measures and stuff. Unfortunately they call for a lot more inside-time for Az. Grr!
Sincerely,
DG
June 7th again,
Okay so it was a freak accident. But we can’t keep living like this. Az can’t keep living like this. We’re having a big meeting tomorrow-Mother, Dad, Az, Glitch, Captain Adderton and three of his lieutenants-to figure out what we can do so that Az can have more freedom without freely giving someone a chance to kill her. Did I mention that assassination attempts were never mentioned in any of the Disney movies as possible hazards of becoming a princess.
Az is more withdrawn than ever. After I fired off my note to you I spent most of the morning with her. I tried talking but she wasn’t really holding up her end of the conversation very well. She didn’t look sad or out of it, but really, really thoughtful. Which, I am learning, can be really bad.
I don’t know what to do.
DG
6/23
DG,
Course you’re frustrated, kid. And mad enough to spit. Do it, too, if someone gets close enough.
I also know the OZ’s got a long way to go before it heals. Attempts on Azkadellia’s life are part of it. Not that it’s right. I still say we shoulda hanged the bastard that tried to shoot her from the wall.
Take a page from the Queen. It’s not easy, but forgiving never is. The OZ can’t be torn apart by war. Again.
Azkadellia already knows, and that’s she’s thinking so hard. Just make sure not to leave her alone too much.
-Cain
(tbc)