Irhaboggle Pride (2020) Quarantine Edition

Solidarity

Rain shook her head and sighed in disgust. Even though Oz was seeing better days under the rule of Ozma Tippetarius (whom she'd helped reinstall as rightful ruler of Oz after the previous ruler, the tyrannical Emperor Apostle, was finally brought to his knees) the world still found a way to cause itself more problems. Seriously! Could they not go a single day without some form of chaos sweeping the land? After everything they'd fought and died for, the very first thing to happen was even more bloodshed. Yes, they had a new ruler, but did they have a better rule? Looking out the window, it wasn't a very easy question to answer.

At the moment, riots and revolutions were popping up all over Oz as weary and angry citizens did their best to express their discontent and confusion. Although Rain understood it to some degree (a new ruler did take some getting used to after all) it was still quite droll to watch (as cold as that sounded). Not only did the riots bring more violence and anger, but it was compounding with so many other problems. The biggest was the reparations from the almost-civil-war that stopped only when the Emperor finally surrendered the throne.

Ozma was trying to broker peace with the shattered land, starting with the reunification of Munchkinland into the rest of Oz, but not every Munchkin was happy about that. In fact, that was where some of the most violent riots were taking place. The people of the east had grown proud of their status as an independent nation, and even though Ozma was doing her best to appease them, they still did not wish to rejoin a country of chaos.

The second biggest problem was a virus that had started sometime closer to the end of the Emperor's reign. No one was quite sure where it had come from, or how or why. All they knew was that it was a fast-acting disease that threatened to ruin the nation if the almost-civil-war didn't. Naturally, the Emperor insisted it was a divine punishment from the Unnamed God himself. To some, the fearmongering worked, and they became even more devoted to the Emperor. But he was gone now. All that remained was the virus, chaos and quarantine that came with it.

There was still no cure, so masks and social distancing were law. Places all over Oz were shut down, and travel was greatly restricted. Rain was sure she was going mad(der) from the quarantine rules, but for once, she didn't feel compelled to break them. She just didn't have the energy anymore. This year was taking such a toll on her. And to be fair, there wasn't anywhere she wanted to go! Except to Ozma's side... But with Ozma so busy as the new leader of Oz, even without the quarantine, it would've been nigh impossible for Rain to get close to her.

That was the most frustrating part of all. To Rain at least. She'd made her first friend in Ozma, and now life was ripping that away from her, forcing her to feel left behind as Ozma rocketed above her status and had no time for her anymore. Of course, Rain knew Ozma was carrying a huge burden, but the selfish side of her was upset that Ozma never even tried to reach her. From Tipp to Ozma. Servant boy to queen. Friend to stranger.

Finally, the loneliness and anger became such that Rain took a pen to paper and began to write. She had no intention of sending the letter, but sometimes it was nice to pretend that she could talk to Ozma. No. To Tip. Not the queen, but the boy she loved. Her first and only friend.

Dear Tip, she began, using Ozma's old name. It was not meant to be a sign of disrespect, Rain honored Ozma's new gender and status both, but this was a letter to the past, not the present.

ooo

This year has certainly been interesting, hasn't it? Droughts, fires, flood, dragons, disease, riots and revolutions. Can it truly be that we are only halfway through? I've already heard rumor of a new and deadly type of insect popping up in the west. I will not jinx us and ask what else could possibly happen, but I will still wonder, and knowing my luck, that will be enough to doom us all anyway.