𝑓𝑒𝑠𝑡𝑖𝑣𝑖𝑡𝑖𝑒𝑠
wrapping her chest with bandages, khadijah made sure not to tie them up too tight--it'd be a problem if she accidentally snapped or broke something inside and frankly, she didn't feel like dealing with the pain. with a deep breath and making sure she wasn't uncomfortable, khadijah slipped into her pants, jumping out the window before landing in hinahoho's arms.
he instantly placed her on his shoulders, greeting her with a smile that reminded her of shamir.
"good morning, khadijah!"
she gave him a soft smile, holding onto him by his hair. "good morning, sir hinahoho."
when meeting hinahoho, it had been an sheer coincidence. he was walking around the halls of the kingdom, searching for his children before he literally slammed against her. he apologized profusely, rubbing his neck in embarrassment before he tugged her up, khadijah flying in his hold as she blinked away the shock.
how can someone be this tall?!
"again with the sir," he patted her knee, approaching sinbad who sat near the veranda, overlooking the guardians who were leisurely chatting among themselves in the garden down below. "it's fine just calling me hinahoho."
"no."
jumping off his shoulders, khadijah gave him another smile, walking away from the father and standing beside sinbad who seemed annoyed. it was rare thing for her to not measure and taste someone's strength, yet this father of four was the first person khadijah had taken no interest in, even if he was delightfully powerful.
"you didn't have a shirt to wear?" sinbad raised a brow, glancing at her chest before sighing. "here," removing his cape, he threw it over her shoulders, tightening the straps around her neck. "wear this."
hinahoho and yamraiha cheekily grinned, a white haired man whom she'd yet to meet simply rolled his eyes, a twinkle of mischievousness in his eyes.
"you've only been here for a day and you're already being annoying." before she had the chance to remove the cape that dragged behind her, khadijah huffed when he placed her on his lap, shoving a spoonful of strawberries into her mouth. almost immediately, she forgot her train of thought, humming happily as she continued eating whatever he fed her.
alibaba, morg and aladdin deadpanned at the view in front of them.
what de fuck.
(ง'̀-'́)ง
chin sitting on her joined hands, khadijah licked her lips, continuing to listen about the common enemy they -sinbad and her companions- now share. al-thamen, an organization that goes against the flow of fate of the world and bring about abnormalities, be it war, discrimination and poverty.
she wanted to laugh. they were the reason so many people were suffering? wasn't it also this fate they loved to speak so much of, that affected these people?
everything was set in stone, like a storybook?
her eyes narrowed considerably. who the hell made this shit up? who the fuck was toying with this world, calling it 'fate' that people woke up either rich or poor, lived and died how their 'fate' called for?
the gods?
gods who have no right in interfering with life.
however, she was also curious about herself. was she also cursing fate? opaque black rukh flew out from her right hand, khadijah flicking the butterfly away before her left hand glowed, a golden translucent rukh landing on her nose--she was cursing fate yet following it?
"they slip into the centers of the country differently. some are merchants, political advisers or court ladies." he sent a glance over to the woman sitting beside him, watching her eyes stare at her hands with a glare. they weren't filled with anger, but rather amusement and annoyance. "they manipulate history from the shadows, and they set their eyes on balbadd."
to go against fate meant falling into depravity.
yamhaira taught her this when black rukh had slipped out of her body--they were sparring and khadijah had gotten irritated her damn water magic spells kept cancelling out her fire, making her incinerate the surrounding landscape to nothing but ashes as both colored rukh flew around her.
the woman looked scared, angry and shocked in a matter of seconds.
"you told us you wanted us to lend our strength.. how?" alibaba's voice snapped her out of her thoughts, khadijah flicking her gaze over to her companions before sighing. until she came to know more about this world--
"you're gonna get wrinkles, cow." pisti popped up in front of her, laughing like a noblewoman would when mocking another person.
khadijah poked her chest with a smug grin. "and you're gonna be flat chested all your life, midget."
they threw hands.
(ง'̀-'́)ง
throwing a shot down her throat with pisti, khadijah danced with the shorter woman, arms looped around each other's as -the pervert- aladdin was thrown away by the red-faced yamhaira. apparently pisti, the short old princess who loved her so much, decided to follow her around today.
"doesn't your back hurt with these?" she poked her chest, khadijah cackling when the girl grew red.
"there are many women who have it worse," and they're totally bigger than what she had in her past life. "these," she gripped them, laughing when pisti reached over to strangle her. "are fine and don't hurt."
"hmph. cow."
"flat chested bore." their foreheads slammed against one another, khadijah gritting her teeth. when she had met the lovable princess, she had been running away from ja'far, slamming straight into her bewbs and immediately cursing her out for her mounds being in the way.
khadijah told her "piss off, midget" and that's where their beautiful friendship began.
"hey, yamhaira." pushing away the brat, khadijah glanced over to her magic teacher, pointing to the woman who was still glaring at her chest. "i don't have to be here, right? can I go dr--"
"let's go drinking!"
the two alcoholics flew away when yamhaira gave her permission, pushing past sinbad and ja'far who grunted.
"ITS STILL DAYLIGHT!?"
they ignored the mother, giggling as they went barhopping.
(ง'̀-'́)ง
ja'far appeared in front of the drinking buddies, the vein beside his temple bulging as he kept his friendly smile. he had underestimated their drinking habits, watching khadijah continue to make out with the young woman from before as pisti blabbered on about something incoherently.
he was sent to gather the eight generals for the feast tonight, to disarm and kill the moray that had appeared alongside the shoreline of sindria. he was successful with the other seven, yet here he was, like a mother, picking up pisti and throwing khadijah over his shoulder as he made his way over to them.
"i thought i told you to drink after sunset." his eyes bore into khadijah, watching the woman whistle a tune as she glanced away. was this the same person who singlehandedly massacred a village, challenged a magi and smiled while on the verge of death? perhaps too much free time these past months had relaxed her, and although he didn't want to admit it, she reminded him of himself during his past.
always on guard, killing whoever pissed them off; to survive and conquer.
but seeing her smile and laugh, relax her tense shoulders and remove the sharpness in her eyes--he felt like someone who finally got their rabid dog to lower her bared teeth.
"don't tell me you fell for me?" khadijah gave him a sultry smile, licking her lips. "that look you're giving me right now is filled with nothing but adorat-"
"ja'far wouldn't like you."
"keep your mouth shut, midget. it's bad manners interrupting a conversation, didn't your private tutors teach you that?"
practically ignoring the jab sent her way, pisti stuck her nose in the air, pointing to herself with a grin. "there have been many men who have confessed to me from the sindrian court. actually, i've been confessed to for a total of thirteen times~"
khadijah snorted. "and yet you've got none by your side."
"!!!!"
they continued bickering over his shoulders, ja'far sighing in exasperation. he briefly wondered if their friendship was because they were of the same age yet so drastically different from each other. actually--how had they begun to fight?
being thrown onto her feet, khadijah threw a kiss over to ja'far before flicking her eyes over to the roar that came behind her. her eyes widened, twinkling underneath the sunlight before she grinned.
"we're having a feast tonight!"
approaching the trio, khadijah wrapped her arms around them, shielding them from the crowd that formed behind them. she ignored their bashful smiles, watching the eight generals stand proudly on a mountain, their fronts shadowed by the sun before sinbad gave an order.
her eyes watched the general she had yet to meet, watched how he jumped high into the air, unsheathing his sword before he grinned. a shiver ran down her spine once he flawlessly cut up the animal in seconds.
it was served like a dish and khadijah walked over to the generals who were making their way over to them. she waited for her little children to catch up, smiling once morg slipped her hand into her own.
"this will be your swordplay master, alibaba. he's name is sharkkan."
pisti approached her with a fucking dumb smug expression and khadijah scoffed.
"i haven't said anything yet!"
"you didn't have to, short shit."
while yamhaira and sharkkan wrestled with each other, khadijah and pisti were going at it as well.
sinbad twitched.
ja'far popped multiple veins.
masrur smiled softly, eyes curving into crescent moons as he separated the women from each other.
"they'll begin training tomorrow," sinbad immediately wrapped his arms around khadijah's waist, his chin resting on her shoulder as he smiled. "tonight we celebrate." he placed a soft kiss on the curve of her neck and shoulder, lingering for a second before taking her hand and walking away.
(ง'̀-'́)ง
she passed through the people, graciously eating whatever they held up to her lips. sindria was a small island but the amount of people who lived and visited the island was huge and thankfully, due to her barhopping habits, she had come to known many of them.
"khadijah!" khalid, the young boy from before, pulled her down to the seat beside him. she ran her eyes through the crowd, wrapping an arm around milena who snuggled into her arm. "where you been the past nights? we saw you in the afternoon running around with one of the generals."
she tugged one of his dreads, smiling. "i was busy."
they understood quickly, instead offering some soup and meat she happily consumed.
"khadijah, the king wants you in the castle."
pressing a chaste kiss against milena's lips, khadijah stood up from her seat, walking alongside the quiet ja'far.
it was a comforting silence, the people's voices and laughter setting a peaceful ambiance around them. it reminded her of a festival back then in her past life, her people and children were lighting up fireworks, feeding the animals that were left behind on the streets, running away from the cops and shooting into the sky.
it was a night like no other.
humming softly to herself, khadijah closed her eyes, allowing herself to reminiscence for a second.
would shamir enjoy a festival like this? or would he be worrying about his girl covered in bruises?
"woah morg! you're so beautiful i thought you were someone else!"
she snorted at the backhanded compliment, walking away from ja'far and towards her companions. "you're so pretty morg," she reached over to the flower crown on her head, fixing it before giving the girl a smile--morgiana blushing hotly.
alibaba tilted his head, desperately ignoring the urge to run his gaze over the woman who was standing right beside him.
he failed.
khadijah was dressed like the rest of the women, with the exception of the flower crown morg was wearing and the customary mask. however, her curves were beautiful and she filled up the dress excellently. his eyes focused on the snake tattoo around her hips before he immediately slapped himself, why was he ogling his frie--were they even friends?
come to think of it, he hasn't heard her call them friends.
"i'm getting a household vessel."
khadijah grinned. "congratulations!"
household vessels--pisti had taught her about this, seeing as how the little shit had a contract with zepar. it was essentially, a small deliverance of power from the main djinn to the person; it would allow them to use their powers for themselves as long as they followed the djinn or the holder of that particular djinn.
it was more complex than that but, that's what it was.
"there's something that's been bothering me morg, are you really fine with being with us? back in qishan, you wanted to go home." alibaba tilted his head, frowning. "i talked to sinbad about this, but aren't there some ships going to the dark continent?"
the girl seemed to grow sullen and khadijah beckoned her to open her mouth. they'd been eating the past five minutes, yet morgiana had yet to eat anything. "eat some fish."
with her mouth stuffed, the young fanalis smiled. "yes.. even though the dark continent belongs to the savage lands, it seems the northern part of the dark continent is becoming civilized as part of the leam empire. anyone can go to the dark continent if they take a direct ship from the leam empire."
storing the newfound information in her head, khadijah continued feeding the young girl, patting aladdin's head who was sitting on her lap.
alibaba's smile was hopeful yet his eyes were filled with sadness, making khadijah hum. before he could ask, khadijah interrupted him. "if morg already knew this, why hasn't she left yet?"
"that--"
"it's true.. i would have said my goodbyes but i also heard about al-thamen." she swallowed her food, eyes shining in determination. "i cant forget the battle we went through during balbadd, i only stayed with you to repay my debt but now, just like you who are fighting for the people who are oppressed, i want to fight alongside all of you."
khadijah almost wanted to laugh. her ultimate goal wasn't as noble as morg thought yet, wouldn't this war reward her? if she partook in this battle, both knowledge -of this world- and power would become hers.
or perhaps she enjoyed traveling with the little monkeys.
regardless, she grinned. war would grow her into a formidable person and knowing one of their -al-thamen's- powerhouses judar was from another kingdom that was known for their strength, khadijah would love to taste them.
her children flinched, watching her eyes glow under the lights of the festival.
"if morg wants to she can!" aladdin laughed, reaching out to hug them. "we can be together like always!"
"what about you?" they turned over to face her, eyes filled with desperation that made her wither. "will you fight with us, khadijah?"
"why not?"
they staggered at the response before they cheered, khadijah being dragged away by morg to the stage.
they danced together until their feet hurt.
(ง'̀-'́)ง
"those two girls you're always training with at the crack of dawn," shakkar had a chesire smile, khadijah snapping her eyes over to him. "be honest, masrur, you're totally doing them right?"
her hand gripped the back of his head, slamming him against the table twice before she curled her lip back in disgust.
"she's a child, you sick fuck."
before she could slam his nose in again, ja'far came over to hit them both on the head, sighing in annoyance.
"not everyone is like you shakkar, and you khadijah, keep your temper in check."
"i'm next ♡~"
"no, it's me~"
she snapped her gaze over to sinbad, noticing him sit with around ten women, giggling and pressing up against him as he smiled in bliss, holding them like a lover would.
what a fucking whore--
when she becomes emperor, should she have a harem? her eyes closed, humming. being married meant her bastard partner would leech off her prowess, leech off everything she accomplished.
"wow.."
"i want to be like that too!" aladdin ran toward one of the women who was seated off to the side, immediately jumping into her chest.
sinbad sucked his teeth, watching her walk away from him, completely bored and not at all jealous.
her partner would have to be someone stronger than her. someone who's the same level she is.
khadijah licked her lips.
patience is virtue and soon enough, she would become revered. even if it was against those gods who spoke of 'fate,' khadijah would take matters into her own hands.
she was the author of her story.
--
happy new years!
thank you for the support and sorry this was so late ;;;-;;;;
and, we all know magi's "fate and destiny" is different to our "fate and destiny" but khadijah doesn't understand that yet. soon in the future, she'll come to understand and figure out why she also has black rukh around her.
thanks for reading!
stay safe lovelies 💛