***

  This story is free to read on RoyalRoad.com

  If you are reading this on another site it is a pirated copy. If you enjoy the story please read it on RoyalRoad.

  You can find the official updated story here:

  

  The first time she came back, she wanted “sex kitten.” With her figure, it would be better for a man’s eyes to see less skin, more clothing—so he’d want to take it off. Yes, she’d blow their minds.

  The world would see her. She was a wildfire, and I made sure she dressed the part.

  - Sibsil Creed, Stories of Shurwinn, (2776)

  I stepped out of my porter into the village street in front of the building where my citizenship meeting awaited me.

  It was a three-story building, and it looked just like everything else in Media Oasis—squat, low buildings of pale, pinkish sandstone with lush garden foliage dripping down from the flat roof. Sun-washed fabric awnings in blue and yellow for shade. It was humble and comfortable.

  I made my way inside.

  The outfit Mauren had created for me wasn’t something I would have picked out for myself, but I liked it. The bandeau was an icy, pale pink satin, and it came up above my chest about two inches higher than my usual slouchy style. It was paired with black trousers of a linen fabric that was thicker than the shorts I typically wore, but they were light and comfortable in the late-morning heat.

  I felt confident and sure as I crossed the threshold into the meeting room, but it wasn’t what I expected. There was a tatsu table, low to the floor, with shiki cushions. Five people sat around the table, sipping tea, talking like old friends, and crunching carrot sticks with some kind of spread.

  “Come in, come in, Ryst! We’re having hummus that Lirin made. It’s all raw. Have some, it’s so good!” said a plump woman, waving me over.

  What? Wasn’t my citizenship meeting supposed to be an inquiry? Didn’t I have to defend myself against objectors? Shurwinn— SHURWINN! I never knew what to expect from them!

  Removing my slippers like I usually did when I went to Lirin and Denten’s home, I joined them on the floor.

  I wasn’t particularly hungry since I was nervous, but I tried a bite of hummus while everyone introduced themselves. It was good; not overly garlicky, and extra creamy. I’d have to get the recipe from Lirin.

  “We're very excited about the business idea you are working on, Ryst,” said Timben, the woman who had first greeted me. “There’s so much room for expansion.”

  They must've been talking to Lirin quite a bit. “I’m glad you think so, Timben. It’s a good way for me to share what I’ve been up to since I left Starlend, without putting too much identifying information about Shurwinn on the stream. I just can’t pretend to go back to my old life after how much I’ve changed living here, so, I’m really excited to start sharing with other people who might be struggling like I’ve been.”

  Glassin, the middle-aged man next to me, asked, “What's the most important thing you want to share about your life here?”

  “Hmm, that’s an excellent question. You know what, Glassin? I think I wanna to be just like Chaludra.” I couldn’t help snickering, and they laughed too.

  “I know that sounds silly, but I really love those graphics! Because the way her quest unfolds without her even realizing it; that’s what life has been like for me. I just keep turning the pages of my story and watching it unfold. It’s been mysterious and confusing, and full of unexpected twists and turns. And I’m only just starting to figure out how to live in constant uncertainty. It isn’t easy, and I’m not great at it. But I keep trying."

  I took a sip of tea.

  "And I think sharing my story with people, just being honest about how it isn’t perfect—well, I think in a strange way, that’s actually very hopeful. I won’t promise people that my odd diet will work for them, but I can tell them it's helped me. And maybe together, we can figure out if it’s something that can help more people."

  If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.

  I set my teacup down, face falling.

  "Because when you have a problem that medica can’t solve,” I said softly, “your life gets very dark, very fast. And I’d like to shine a little light for people who are in dark places.”

  Woah… I had not expected all of that to fall out of my mouth and onto the table. They quietly looked at me and nodded. Patin, sitting across from me said, “That’s really beautiful, Ryst.”

  We went on to discuss how I hoped to grow Living Foods from Shurwinn. And as the subject got lighter, Kliran said, with a bit of a smile, “You know, I think that this doesn’t sound scientific. Shouldn’t you be working with a university?”

  “No,” Glassin replied with an exaggerated head shake, “I think it’s overly focused on the broad public. Shouldn’t you be serving the people of Shurwinn as a medica?”

  “No,” Timben chimed in, “I think it’s overly Shurwinn and will draw too much attention to have an off sphere medica talking about our recipes.”

  They were acting like they meant nothing they said, like telling a five-year old there were bunnies coming out of her ears. They were saying things that people might say to criticize me; in fact, everything they said was an insecurity I already felt, but when they said it straight to my face and didn’t have any acid in their tones, it didn’t sting.

  What an odd culture. It was magnificent! I’d have to try it in my own brain when I went into worry mode.

  “Your objections are noted,” I said simply and nodded.

  They all beamed at me. Beamed! Like proud parents. I obviously had passed some type of test. They welcomed me to the Shurwinn family as a fellow citizen, and my heart was light.

  I couldn’t stop smiling on my way home.

  Peydran: Schedule changes. Video shoot today?

  Ryst: 1:30?

  Peydran: 2:00?

  Ryst: Yes

  I was just getting into my porter leaving the village with bags of groceries when I got Peydran’s message. After a quick lunch, I changed my hairstyle a bit, twisting it down my back with three strands of my Tindin beads: Silver, White, and Black and left them dangling at the end of the tail for some drama.

  While I prepped veggies and organized ingredients, Peydran shewed people out of the dining commons and put up signs requesting “Quiet—recording in progress.” While he set up equipment, I went through my list again.

  Ingredients- check. Blender- check. Serving bowl- check. Hair- check. Outfit- check. Deep breath.

  “Ready when you are, Ryst. You look great, and all those colorful veg are going to pop on camera. The light in here is perfect today. You ready?” Peydran asked.

  I nodded. “I’m hoping we can get this in one take, so I’m just gonna pretend that I’m teaching you how to make curry. Just like I’m talking to a friend. What do you think?”

  “Yeah, go for it. Just look right here,” he pointed to a spot on the pad hovering in front of me, “When you want to talk directly to the audience.”

  My nervousness was gone when I thought about just telling Peydran how to make mushroom curry, so the whole thing was done in just a few minutes. “And I think we should give this a taste, don’t you Peydran? Want to test it out?”

  He lifted his eyebrows in surprise, “Heck yeah, it looks delicious!”

  He came over to me, and we dug spoons into the serving bowl. “Mmmm, so good. Can we eat the whole thing?” Peydran asked.

  I laughed and looked at the camera, “Well, we’re gonna have lunch, so thank you for joining us on Living Foods from Shurwinn. This is Dr. Ryst Nova and Produced by Pedran. Sunshine!”

  “Ryst, you’re the best! Thanks for the promo.”

  “Well, since I’m officially a citizen, I’ve heard that promoting my family is required.”

  “No way, I didn’t hear! When?”

  “Just a couple hours ago!” I beamed at him.

  “Congratulations! This is such great news. Alright, I’ve got editing to do. As soon as you approve the videos, everything will be live. So get ready. I’m off.”

  “Sunshine, Peydran!”

  RYST’S UNCOOKED MUSHROOM CURRY

  INGREDIENTS:

  

  
• 1/2 cup raw cashews


  
• 4 cups fresh tomatoes


  
• 1 teaspoon granulated garlic


  
• 3 tablespoons dried minced onion


  
• 1 teaspoon fresh ginger, peeled and cubed


  
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds


  
• 3/4 teaspoon red kashmiri chili powder or pinch of cayenne pepper


  
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt


  
• 1/4 teaspoon turmeric


  
• 1 teaspoon garam masala


  
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander


  
• 6 ounces green peas


  
• 2 cups white button mushrooms


  
• 1 large or 2 small zucchini, chopped into 1/2 inch chunks


  
• 1 teaspoon dried fenugreek leaves


  
• 1/2 cup chopped cilantro


  

  INSTRUCTIONS:

  

  
• You can eat the curry cold, but I prefer it warm. If you’d like to experiment with warming your curry, preheat your oven for only 4 minutes. Then turn the oven off. Turn the oven light on, because it will give off warmth. You don’t want your oven hotter than 100 degrees. You can also use a food dehydrator to warm the final dish if you have one.


  
• Cover the cashews with water and soak overnight. If you are short on time, soak them at least an hour. When you’re ready to prepare the curry, strain off 2/3 of the water.


  
• Wash mushrooms, and remove stems. Break them into bite- sized chunks. If you have time, put them in the sun to boost their vitamin D levels.


  
• Put the cashews, tomatoes, garlic, onion, ginger, cumin, chili powder, salt, turmeric, garam masala, and coriander in a high speed blender.


  
• Blend for 1 minute or until creamy and the gravy is beginning to warm to the touch.


  
• Put the mushrooms, zucchini, and peas in a large serving dish. Stir in the tomato gravy and fenugreek. Garnish with cilantro. Put the dish in your preheated oven for around 20 minutes to gently warm it while you clean up your kitchen. Serves 4.