🍰 The Foreign Rival

The two princes talked for quite a while, so the sun turned a bit. Intentional or not, prince Andremede 'forgot' to tell the guard to release prince Jason's shoulders and the whole time the Greek boy kept standing there folded in half as if it was his everyday position for having a chat.

"For all I know, Gods must have created that artifact just to laugh at contortionists and their feeble attempts to reach the divine!" Andremede almost spit on the floor but remembered he's a prince and it's a Persian carpet, not a Polish subway.

"Yeah," Jason took a deep sigh in and out of his stretched chest. "Nobody I talked with so far was brave enough to wear this ultimate leotard. That's why I made my mind to wear it myself. Be the hero this world is lacking."

"Hmm... I kinda like it that you can hold the fold for so long."

"Thanks but it's not necessary to hold my shoulders really."

"Really? Well, release his shoulders. Slowly. Oh nice! Didn't even move an inch. I was sure your spine would spring out of my tent. Very good for a boy but what makes you think you're some kind of a deity who can wear the Golden One-Piece?"

"I just have a feeling I can do it if I try hard enough. All my hard training... every day I have the feeling I can do so much more! I just need to find the way. I'm even ready to submit to being stretched 24/7, even stretching to the max during my sleep until no man or animal can break my body. But I need a partner who has a lot of experience. So I was going to ask if you could train me?"

"I don't like much the idea of training a foreign rival... However, the existence of that artifact is a great deal of shame for all of us! It was once worn by the god Dionyssos but he lost it during one hot night with his lover and it fell down from the skies onto the mortal realm."

"I know all that already but please continue."

"Mortal kings tried to put this leotard on their beloveds, then the beloveds danced seductively but each and every bend of their bodies was amplified so greatly by this magical leotard that their muscles burned and their bones broke, pushed far beyond the mortal limits. Kings passed it to each other as a gift and the story repeated many times at many courts. So many poor souls, so many bendies being ridiculed by this thing..."

"Yes, I know all that already but please continue."

"Well, my point is, imagine you train so hard for over a decade to become the very best in your kingdom. People marvel at your dancing and bending. Then suddenly your king happily offers you a 'very special gift'. You put on that Golden One-Piece and nobody sees you in one piece ever again! And you're nothing but another sad legend. I would like to help putting an end to this, just for this reason. I'd like us to have a good legend for once."

"Fair enough, any rationale is good with me, as long as I get my super training from the famous Headsit Priest! And I'll work like a slave, promise! Think of me as a piece of living rubber rather than a human being."

"Slaves are actually very poor material, slaves rarely take pride in their achievements. That's why in my temple I only accept noble boys who take great pride in their skills. And as a prince you're quite qualified for my school."

"Well how about I'm a hero who will do anything to liberate the bendy folk from the 'Golden' menace!"

"Oooohhh..kay? Well, we can now proceed to the baths, hero. I need to take a closer look at what I'm going to work with."

"Yay! But I must warn, as a Greek hero I might get too excited around another guy!"

"Around and round and round..." Andremede jumped off his couch and headed straight to the baths. Jason thought for a moment and decided to follow him with his back folded.