9 May 2024

This was a fun one. I saw a post somewhere (Tumblr, I think) with a prompt of a fae lady requesting the individual’s firstborn, and the individual asking when she could come meet their parents, taking it as a wedding proposal. That reminded me of Rumpelstiltskin and the story I started back in 2022 and never continued. This… doesn’t line up perfectly with that, and it is designed to stand alone, but I do think it’d be cool to eventually forge them together into one larger short story.

Desiree sighed as she stared at the massive room filled with straw. This… this sucked. Even with all the tips and tricks her fae friend had taught her the night before, it would still be a close thing, spinning all this to gold be morning.

And it wouldn’t stop there. Desiree knew as long as the King thought he could squeeze more gold out of her, he’d keep forcing her to spin. No, she needed a plan, a way to free herself from this wretched tyrant.

She hadn’t gotten far into her musings when the door opened and Prince Theodore–or Teddy, as he was more commonly known–stepped inside. “D-Desiree? We n-need to talk.”

Desiree spared him a glance. He was short, with curly brown hair, and he couldn’t stop wringing his hands. He looked nervous at the best of time, but his shaking was even more visible now. She focused back on her spinning. “What is it?” She was perhaps a bit more curt than was strictly proper when speaking with royalty, but Desiree felt she had plenty of reasons to be upset.

“F-father said if you succeed, h-he wants me to m-marry you. K-keep you close.”

After that bombshell, Desiree did stop spinning. “Well, shit.” At Prince Teddy’s shocked expression, she added, “Ah, sorry, it’s just… You’re nice enough, don’t get me wrong, and you don’t look bad or anything. You’re just…really not my type.”

Teddy nodded, and even sighed with relief. “I… That’s good.”

One eyebrow raised, Desiree got back to spinning. “Oh?”

A furious blush burst across Teddy’s face. “I… um… Do you know Lady Alexia?”

“I’ve heard of her.”

“Well, we are – were – engaged. She’s… she’s amazing, and… I-I want to make her happy.”

Alexia, huh? She had a reputation as a beautiful, albeit domineering woman. She was also one of the few nobles actively trying to make life better for her citizens. Desiree eyed Teddy and nodded to herself. They could be quite cute together. “So, what are we going to do?”

Teddy hemmed and hawed, but in the end, he could only shrug. Desiree barely restrained a groan. She hesitated a moment longer before she sighed and pulled out her fae friend had given her.

Not even a second after she blew it, a hunched figure appeared in the middle of the room. He was only a couple inches taller than Teddy, with ears that were far too large and eyes that were far too sharp. His beard was long and scraggly, in desperate need of a trim, and his clothes were worn and full of patches.

For all that, though, Desiree was growing rather fond of him. Unlike most fae, he didn’t bother with a glamor; what you see is what you get. That was a kind of honesty Desiree could respect. He had a dry wit, too, that she had grown to appreciate over the last couple nights they’d spent together.

When he arrived, he looked between Desiree and the prince and scowled a little. He glanced around the room–twice the size of the one he’d helped with the night before. “The king sure is a greedy one. I wonder what all this gold is for?”

Desiree eyed Teddy, but he just shrugged. Guess the prince wasn’t privy to the king’s secret dealings. Desiree sighed and turned to the fae. “That’s… actually what we need your help with. If this continues, the king’s just going to get greedier. We read a way to… deal with him.”

Teddy blanched at that, and the fae turned to him. “Is there a problem?”

It took a second for Teddy to catch his breath. “N-no. It… it hurts, a bit, but… My father i-isn’t a good man. Or a g-good king. She’s right.”

The fae looked at Teddy with newfound respect. “And what do you have to offer?”

Desiree grimaced. What few items she had of sentimental value, she’d already given him. What hadn’t been taken by the king or her father, that is. She kicked at the small pile of gold she’d already spun. “I don’t suppose you’d be interested in the gold I’d spin from this room, would you?”

The fae just gave her a flat look, at Desiree deflated. Then Teddy offered, “What about me? I-I’m the prince, I’m sure–”

“Anything you offer comes from the king’s hand, and I’ll not force the man to pay for his own assassination.” He grinned cruelly. “No matter how much he may deserve it.”

Teddy gulped, swallowing his words, while Denise graned and banged her head against the spinning wheel. “Well, what’s your idea? What do you even want?”

For a long moment, the fae said nothing. Finally, he replied, “A child.”

Stunned, Desiree sat up and stared at him. “A child? You want a child?”

The fae nodded. “Your firstborn.”

It felt like Desiree’s mind had jammed up. “Is… Is that some weird marriage proposal fae use?”

For a moment, no one spoke. “What.”

“It’s just,” Desiree tried to explain, “among humans, we at least ask people out before talking about marriage, much less having kids together, and I’d kind of always dreamed my proposal would be a bit more romantic, and I only just figured out I kind of like you that way anyway, and–”

It was at this point Desiree realized both men were just staring at her in stunned silence. Her face boiled red as she closed her mouth.

Eventually, the fae turned to Teddy. “But… aren’t you two…?”

“Apparently, I’m really n-not her type,” the prince replied flatly. Then he scratched his cheek with a shy smile. “A-and… well, I’ve got someone else in m-mind, too.”

The fae opened his mouth to say something only to close it again. He turned to look at Desiree, who turned even more red, if that was possible. “I… um.” He blinked, then said, “I’m going to go take care of things. Let’s… let’s discuss payment later.”

He vanished, leaving Desiree and the prince alone together. After a long moment, Teddy said, “W-well. At least I f-feel better about being awkward sometimes.”

Desiree promptly sank her face into her hands.

13 February 2024

And here is where we finally get to see Lena and Frieda step into their own as terrifying fey creatures. I really dragged my heels on this one…

Isaac shrugged. “I might surprise you. My older sister was kidnapped by a fairy right after she was born, and because of that, they made a point to teach me all sorts of things about magic and how it works.”

Both women froze, and Deifra’s tea cup slipped from her hands to shatter on the floor. Alne asked, “Your… sister, you said?”

That’s when it clicked. The shack that was sturdier than it looked. The colors of their dresses. Their names. “You’re those fairies, aren’t you? Lena and Frieda.” Isaac couldn’t keep himself from grinning.

It seemed that was a mistake, though, as Deifra–Frieda–reached out into the air and pulled, like she was tugging on a string. Something yanked itself out of Isaac; he couldn’t see it, but he could feel it as it left.

In the same moment, both women shifted. Instead of a frail wisp of a girl, Frieda was now a full-bodied, statuesque woman, even a bit taller than Phillip. Lena was still short, roughly around Isaac’s height, but instead of an old lady she now had youthful even elfin features, with dark hair pulled back in a long braid.

Isaac tried to protest, only to discover he couldn’t make any sound. He could breath just fine, but his voice was just…gone.

“I could not risk that you might have some way to summon the Fairy Killer here. So, what is it you want, boy?”

Isaac’s expression soured, and he tapped his throat. In response, Lena passed him a sheet of paper and a quill. Once he accepted it, he paused. It didn’t exactly seem like the best idea to tell them he’d only shown up out of curiosity. Then he got an idea, and began to write.

“Could you help us find Aurora? We think Gothel took her to the Lost Wood, but anyone who enters winds up losing all sense of direction for months. Maleficent has tried to help, but she can’t perceive Gothel or anything related to her, so that hasn’t worked.”

24 January 2024 part 1

Tried to work on Rapunzel, then changed to a different story so I could feel less frustrated.

Phillip paused. “Like, the other fairies who were there the day your sister was taken?”

“Yep.”

“They’re not the ones who took her, though, right?”

Isaac shrugged. “We’ve known where Gothel is at for a few years now. The problem is, we can’t get there; she’s got some magic that keeps people from getting close. So I figured, why not counteract it with fae magic of our own?”

Phillip’s foot pulled free of his boot, causing him to curse. “And why… *oof*. Why would they ever agree to help us?”

Isaac’s eyes narrowed. “They owe my family a debt.”

22 January 2024

I decided I would try to write a poem a week. I’ve liked the idea of it, written some poems in the past. I haven’t quite lived up to that goal; March was crazy busy with a lot of personal stuff, and I barely wrote anything at all. But I’ve done better than I feared. And I’m quite fond of this one, though I don’t think it matches any specific formula. This particular poem was inspired by a post on the Elsewhere University tumblr I saw, in the item exchange series.

Once, in fair trade,

The greatest of friends of friends did I gain

Found in a glass

Silver-back, hand wide,

Thus neither of us would pass through

Days we spun tales,

Glories and mundanities both

And I counted dear

The quiet times passed

Spent with my reflection and I

Alas, then dropped

Reflection now shattered to bits

Some cruel, some sharp

Not a one kind

And no way to return them whole

Be wary, dear friend,

Though gladly I’ll sell

This mirror brings its own thorns

12 January 2024

Lena felt quite pleased with herself. She and Frieda had managed to score an invitation to one of the western countries, announcing the birth of the new crown princess. If things went well, they might even gain recognition as the fairies who opened the door to the west for the fae. And considering how tense the east has been after that fiasco with Maleficent… Well, even if things didn’t pan out, it should still be safer here than back there.

And things were going well, too. Standard gifts, health, beauty, what have you.

20 September 2023 part 2

Redoing the magical girl scene.

…become a magical girl?”

Sarah blinked twice and tipped her hand to the side. “Why would I want to do that?”

The rabbit-thing froze, eyes fixed on Sarah. “...I was under the impression most young women your age aspired to the position. Quite fervently, in fact. Is that not the case?”

With a shrug, Sarah answered, “I’m not them. I’m me.”

The silence stretched on long enough to get awkward before the rabbit-thing replied. “I see. And the fame and fortune that come with the station don’t appeal to you, I suppose?”

“WHo in their right mind wants to be famous? I’d never get any privacy anymore. And there’s other, probably safer ways to get rich if I decide I want that.”

“Hmm.” The rabbit-thing bobbed his head and sat quietly, apparently lost in thought.

After a moment or two, Sarah asked, “Would you mind moving over a bit? You’re sitting on my homework.”

“Ah, my apologies.” The rabbit-thing hopped to the floor, but before Sarah could get back to work, he asked, “So you enjoy learning, then?”

“Well, yeah. There’s so much to see and discover, and the more you understand, the more doors it opens for you, yeah?”

“Then would you have any interest in learning the lost secrets of Atlantis, or perhaps even the technologies of my people?”

Sarah paused and glanced back down at the rabbit-thing. She’d be lying if she said she wasn’t curious, but this whole thing seemed more and more sketch the more he pushed.

1 May 2023

I’ve always found fae fascinating. Deals, exact words, true names… I don’t know that I’ll do much more with these characters; perhaps finish this scene/short story, and leave it at that. But who knows? We’ll see.

The clank of a blacksmith’s hammer rang over the homestead. Fynn didn’t recognize the old man, though something did seem familiar about him. After looking around for a bit, Fynn finally found David. He called out to his old friend, with just a touch of suggestion laced into the words; he needed David’s help, and on the off chance he was still sore about what happened last time, a little… persuasion could go a long way. “Good day, old friend! How goes the farm?”

To Fynn’s surprise, the magic found now purchase in the young man, sliding right off him like water from a leaf in a rainstorm. The young man turned and gave him a puzzled look. “Do I… know you?”

Concern tickled at Fynn’s heart, but he hid it behind a jovial laugh. “Come now, David! Surely there are better times for games!”

Behind him, the clank of the hammer stopped. The blacksmith spoke, his voice low and gravelly. “Leave my son out of your schemes, Fynnelion Summerchild.”

Fynn was rocked to his core. Those words carried power, especially with the use of Fynn’s true name. What’s more, Fynn realized why the old man looked familiar. He spun slowly to face the blacksmith. “David?”

25 October 2022

Rumpelstiltskin always struck me as such a weird story. Why on earth would a father make such an outrageous, easily disproven claim? Why does the fact the girl can’t actually do it never come up in her marriage later? What does Rumpelstiltskin even want with a child?

This version only directly addresses one of those; what if, after watching Rumpelstiltskin for those several nights, the protagonist does learn how to do it? How does that change her story and her relationships with the royal family? The other two will likely get touched on, assuming I do continue the story. I think it’s likely, after Nanowrimo ends; this was a fun one.

Desiree’s father was an idiot. That was the only explanation she could think of.

Such were her thoughts as she sat, locked in a room full of straw, with a promise that she’d be dead come morning if it didn’t all magically turn to gold by the time the king returned.

As she paced, she briefly considered using the lanterns to light the whole place on fire, just to spite everyone. That wouldn’t do her any good, though, and even if by some miracle it worked, she’d be hurting the wrong people. With a groan, she sank to the floor and leaned her back against the spinning wheel.

A moment later, there was a loud POP!, and a strange man appeared from thin air. He was short, not even five feet tall, and sported a long, red beard. His hair flew about in all directions, and his clothes looked tattered at first glance; however, when Desiree looked closer, she realized they were made of fine silk, and the rips and tears had been artfully arranged, and even embellished in places with fine embroidery.

He shot her a crooked smile and said, “Now, that’s unusual. Most damsels like yourself in distress are reduced to tears by the time I arrive.”

Desiree gave him a flat look. “And who are you?”

With a flourish, the strange man bowed to her. “I am merely a humble tradesman, here to repay my debt to your father.”

Desiree snorted and gestured around the room. “Well, unless you can either spin straw to gold or grant my dolt of a father his proper share of wits, I’m not sure what you can do to help.”

“Alas, the second is impossible. I tried, once; I think that ruined what little wit he had left.” The man winked at Desiree, and she couldn’t help but chuckle. “But the first? That I can do.”

He shooed Desiree away from the spinning wheel, and like a maestro taking his place before a grand piano, he flared his coat, took a seat, and began to spin.

Desiree watched with wonder as the straw began to turn into threads of gold beneath the strange man’s fingers. It was as if he plucked the very color from the straw, discarding the rest, and spun it until it shone as bright as summer sunlight. She was so enraptured, she didn’t even notice when the sun’s rays began to peek through the eastern window.

The man, however, did notice. He finished off the last bit of straw and bowed once more to Desiree. “Well, that is that, and my debt is repaid. Farewell, Desiree, daughter of Oscar.” Then he snapped his fingers and disappeared.

Moments later, the door to the cell opened, and the king, accompanied by two of his guards, strode in. He glanced at the pile of gold in the corner of the room. “There’s less than I thought there would be.”

Desiree was incredulous. “You forced me to spend all night locked up in here, with threat of death if I didn’t spin all the straw into gold, and now you’re complaining there’s not enough? What on earth were you expecting?”

The king, at least, had the decency to look somewhat ashamed. “Yes, well. Well done.”

Desiree sighed. “I’m sorry, Your Majesty. It’s been a long night. May I return home?”

The king blinked a few times. “Ah, you probably would miss your family. Very well, you may go see them; my son will escort you. But return here by tomorrow night. There’s much work to be done.”

Cold sweat dripped down Desiree’s back, and once more she cursed her father for a fool.