The swings in the park, Saturday Morning

[anarchist_queen]

The revolution had been somewhat of an inside joke. After all, the Queen was the one who had spearheaded the movement, though only a very few knew that. What was public knowledge was that the former ruler had stepped down without much of an argument, only a long discussion as to what was to happen when she had done so.

Many said that was why she was remembered with a statue, rather than a blood stain on a wall. Others said that was silly because even those leading the Rebellion had always said she was a decent enough leader. In any case, Leda had said that she was being set free as much as the people were. And so far, things in Faerie were going well.

At the Border School it was a similar, though different story.

More than a decade ago it had been discovered that the Border between Faerie and Earth in fact intersected with many other worlds. Bordertown had become even more strange, and at the same time, more "cosmopolitan". Leda had retired there after abdicating and eventually squatted a particularly odd building on the outskirts of the city. It had been a tourist attraction before the return, and now it housed a number of young refugees.

Leda wished she'd been able to come up with a better name than the Border School. But the kids seemed to like it.

And though she found life as the "Headmistress" of a school much like Fandom incredibly wonderful, it was nice to get a break every now and then.

[Come join Adult Leda on the swings! Reminisce about past times or hear strange tales of the "present"!]

Comments

[heromaniac]

As much as Momoko enjoyed her family, there was something to be said for having a morning to herself.

She'd woken in her hotel room, ate her breakfast in bed, and was now out for a nice walk. It hadn't been long enough since her last visit that things should have changed much if this was any normal island, but Momoko knew better. Plus maybe she'd meet some of the reunion attendees before the mixer!

"Ah!" And look who was on the swings! "Leda! You made it! Hello!" She waved happily and made her way over.

[anarchist-queen.livejournal.com]

Leda waved as well, and as she was in mid swing, she let go of the chains and soared into the air, landing just in front of her friend.

"Well hello there Stranger."

[heromaniac]

"Stranger? Who's the one who hasn't visited in forever?" Leda was getting a huge hug. "Have I mentioned lately how much I hate that you still look like you did when we first met?"

[anarchist-queen.livejournal.com]

"Would it help if I gave myself crows feet?" Leda smirked. "I've been practicing fine tuning with the glamour." She hugged Momoko back. "I'm sorry I haven't visited. The Border School been eating up so much of my time. Between Fandom-like wacky and invasions and just the kids being being, well like we were..."

The half-dragon boy and the lamia girl were dating, and they'd just gotten a pair of twins show up and good lord Leda thought they could give a lot of the fandom kids a run for their money in the bad parents catagory.

[heromaniac]

"Oh, tell me they aren't like we were! How can you ever manage?" Momoko gasped, amused. "Have you found a good assistant to help out yet?"

[anarchist-queen.livejournal.com]

"Actually yes! One of the teachers, Jack has been an immense help." And it was funny how, despite her continuing terror of the sea, she kept being drawn to folks who were tied to it. Jack was a Selkie from a version of New England. "And Sila and the rest of the teachers of course."

When Leda couldn't visit or talk to Momoko on the phone, she wrote whenever she could. But she sometimes lost track of how long it was between missives.

The school's "usual suspects", Travis the half-dragon, and Lamia, the upper classmen had been joined by a boy named Jason Kent, who's father apparently had once run the Arms hotel in a version of Fandom, Vincent and Vanessa who could fill a whole volume of letters, and-

"Oh! Oh! I got a doppleganger!"

[heromaniac]

Momoko's eyes went wide. "Really?! I don't remember you ever having one! Are they an elf, too?"

[anarchist-queen.livejournal.com]

"Oh yeah she's like, an actual alternate version of me. She's like I was when I first came here, but as far as I can tell, she's not destined for any throne or anything. Especially if she keeps antagonizing the twins."

[heromaniac]

"Is that even allowed? Having two of the same person in one place?" Momoko thought back to the old Leda with a smile. "Is she at that point where she hates the world or where she's quiet and shy?"

... "And she's not addicted, is she?"

[anarchist-queen.livejournal.com]

"She's happy-go-lucky, rarely sober. And not quite as uhm...tolerant of other races." She wasn't a bigot, but Leda was dismayed at how this other Leda seemed to regard humans as somewhat less. To be fair she hadn't started anything. Not on purpose. "And has an unfortunate sense of humor.

"I think the universe is permitting it because aside from the same name and appearance, and both being from a version of Bordertown, we're not much alike. My foster parents are her biological parents I think." Maybe it was the subconscious memories of being Florida that had made her have a head start in the open-mindedness department.

[heromaniac]

Momoko shook her head. "Wow. You know, more and more I am glad that I haven't had a look-alike show up. Is she a student?"

[anarchist-queen.livejournal.com]

"Yeah, her parents sent her, thinking she needed a more diverse peer group. From what I could tell when I talked to them, they're a lot like my foster 'rents. They think they're superior to humans, but don't think that's any reason to treat them like crap. Sort of, maintaining the moral high ground or something.

"I think she's got potential, we've all got high hopes. If her fellow students don't kill her."

[heromaniac]

Momoko snickered. "Well, if you find she needs a place to go for a few days, let me know. I can try to talk Jaime into a few days stay for her."

"Have you been to the foster home on the island?"

[anarchist-queen.livejournal.com]

"No I haven't." she said, in the way that people do when they just realize there was some place they knew about but had never been to. "Have you?"

Foster Home on the island?

[heromaniac]

"Not this trip," Momoko admitted. "But one of my earlier visits, Elena had detention there, so I stopped in to see. I think it's basically for kids that aren't old enough for the school, but who need a place to go, to be themselves."

[anarchist-queen.livejournal.com]

Leda bit her lip thoughtfully. "This island." she said. "I sometimes think that whatever forces govern it, and for that matter the ones that govern Bordertown, maybe sentient. And...possibly in correspondence with each other. They're not safe in the traditional sense. But they both insist on doing whatever they can to shelter those who need it. Drawing them in even when they don't intend to come."

[heromaniac]

Momoko nodded. "I've known since we were still in school - the island has a soft spot for kids. No matter what happens, kids are kept safe. Not teens, so much, but..."

She tilted her head and looked out over the park. "Maybe that's the point? That the island helps teens learn to keep themselves safe? It's not just a place where people like us can go to feel safe and included. Asylum can only last as long as you're locked away, after all."

[anarchist-queen.livejournal.com]

Leda thought about some of those she'd befriended in the past, and some of her more recent correspondence. Then she thought about her own story.

"I think that's it." she said. "Because it puts us all in contact with other people who can help us, and in turn we can help them. And we, mostly anyway, as far as I've heard and seen, come out the stronger for it. And better able to deal with whatever it is that drove us here."

[heromaniac]

"Exactly!" Momoko nodded, then reached for Leda's arm. "And while speaking of what drove us here, I am taking a walk of the island, walking around. For old times sake. Want to join me?"

[anarchist-queen.livejournal.com]

Smiling, Leda put a hand over Momo's. "I would love to. You're the first one I've seen since I got here. Maybe we'll run into some other old friends."