T_T_T
Sitting on your slightly wet nappy, you start taping all the layers together. Moustache Girl has coated every bit of hers in packing tape and it seems really strong, so you do that too. Bow Kid meanwhile seems to be taking a lot more care than you to make it all crease free.
“For the arm loops, you gotta use the special tape,” explains Moustache Girl, holding the roll of grey coloured tape up.
It has little bits of thread hanging off and looks like it’s got fabric inside it, but the outside is plastic.
“You take a strip of cardboard and bend it a bit so it’s soft, then cover it in the tape, and then tape it down.”
After asking mum, she finds you an old ruler. It’s really long, way longer than the one you use at school, but as mum explains, the pain and the numbers all flaked off.
“So, you can cut this in half. One for each of you,” she explains to you and Bow Kid. “But there’s got to be lots of cardboard around it, and I want to make sure it’s safe before you guys use them. Okay? These swords could hurt you if you’re not careful.”
So, as you and Bow Kid made yours, Moustache Girl started making something else.
It started off as a sort of cylinder shape. Soon, Moustache Girl added a flat bit to the top and taped that down, before drawing something on one side. You weren’t sure what.
“Ooh — is that a helmet?” Bow Kid asked, figuring it out.
“Yep!” Moustache Girl said, holding it up. “Just gotta cut the hole.”
As you finished your sword, you start wondering if you could make armour. You could use a sheet of cardboard for the front and another for the back, then put straps that go over your shoulders on it. While Bow Kid is finishing her sword (which is taking longer but looks better than yours), you quickly sketch out the panels. Again, you need mum’s help to cut them out, and at the same time she cleans up Moustache Girl’s helmet.
Soon, the three of you are looking ready for your adventure, so after a brief break for lunch, you began!
T_T_T
“We fight for the princess’ hand!” Moustache Knight Girl declared with a flourish of her sword.
“I will defeat you!” you call back, with what is surely just as impressive a flourish.
“What does that even mean?” asked Princess Bow Knight.
You falter, lowering your sword. That is a good question.
“It’s a thing… they do in the movies,” Moustache Knight explains. She seems to move her helmet a bit, like she is trying to scratch her head. “It’s like what knights do when they meet a princess.”
“But what if there’s only one knight?”
You can see Moustache Knight’s thoughtful look behind her helmet.
“Maybe they fight the princess?” Princess Bow Knight replied. “There’s supposed to be a fight, isn’t there?”
Though that was probably fair here, because Princess Bow Knight was a knight, you knew in a lot of stories that princesses didn’t fight for some reason.
“Ah! You are trying to trick me with your riddles, dastardly foe!” Moustache Knight suddenly cried out, before charging at you with her sword.
What ensued was an incredible battle. Of clashing cardboard and virtuous, knightly fighting. For one moment, it seemed like Moustache Knight had the upper hand as she backed you up against the castle walls, you almost walking backwards into a plant pot. But at the last moment you went sideways, and with a jump, climbed up the retaining wall into the royal garden!
Rather than make the knightly jump like you had, the dastardly fiend Moustache Knight ran along the paved path that ran along the castle wall and past your bedroom window, and then up the stairs to the level of the garden. Soon, with the sounds of a war cry, you resumed your fight!
Blades clashed and armour rattled. And after much further battle, it seemed that you had the upper hand. But, for a moment, Moustache Knight got the upper hand. You step back, a strategic retreat, when you walk into something again: a small, grassy shrub.
You suddenly lose your footing and fall backwards, landing on your wet nappy. You can feel your eyes wet as you blink up at Moustache Girl, clearly victorious. Only, after a few moments you realise it doesn’t hurt, it just surprised you. There’s lots of leaf litter and your nappy to cushion the fall.
Looking to your side, you can see Bow Kid standing there. She’s chewing her lip and looking thoughtful.
“I win!” says Moustache Knight, pointing at Bow Kid.
Bow Kid shakes her head.
“Nuh ah,” she replies, sounding slightly satisfied with herself. A wide smile crosses her face, letting you see her teeth. “If you want my hand, you have to beat me as well!”
Moustache Knight jumps to the ready, and then Princess Bow Knight paused.
“But… I need to go to the loo first,” she said slightly sheepishly.
You wonder for a moment why she needed to do that, slowly getting to your feet. Brushing your bum off, you share a glance with Moustache Girl.
“This is soo cool!” she suddenly exclaims, seeming to bounce on her feet in excitement.
Feeling giddy, you nod.
“It sure is!”
It gets you wondering if you could do a really big adventure like this at your next sleepover.
Taking a moment, you inspect your sword, spotting several dings along its length from where you had hit Moustache Girl’s own sword. You wonder if it needs more tape.
“Has yours got dents in it?” you ask her.
She looks up and down her sword.
“A bit.”
Stepping closer, you compare yours and hers. It seems yours is more dinged. Maybe you did need more tape?
Your thoughts are cut short, however.
“You face the Witch Knight!” came Bow Kid’s exclamation. “Princess Bow Witch-Knight!”
Turning, you spot her standing in the back doorway of the royal castle. Atop her head is your mostly finished witches’ hat, and instead of her sword, she holds a wizard staff in her hand, her blue bow tied around the end. It’s very cool.
Suddenly, Princess Bow Witch-Knight waves her staff to cast a deadly spell of magic.
“I call upon the power of lightning!” she cries, and the battle resumes.
