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.

24 April 2024

This is a poem about that Atlantis/magical girl story I started a while back. I still want to do something with it, but even with what I have here, the opening isn’t landing quite right for me. I’ll have to tweak the idea later. It’s definitely not my priority, though; Perish Song, Majesty, and Rapunzel are all higher on my list than this one. Just wanted a change of pace.

I did think the idea of how I formatted this poem was kind of cool, though. Would’ve been better if I made the fairy stanzas more consistent in line length, but that was a bit mroe trouble than it was worth, at least for a rough draft.

Come, see Atlantis, and join up in our fight!

Gawk at all our wonders, partake in each delight.

There’s a bit of danger, this I won’t deny,

But ‘tis but a smidgeon. What then is thy reply?

Thinkest me a fool?

Lying wretch, begone.

Though wonders offered,

I will not be swayed.

The prince was at a loss; he knew not what to do

Without a promised partner, the gate won’t let him through

So he huddled in her bedroom, miserable and lost

And watched the daily life of this girl whose path he’d crossed.

Pitiful rabbit

Wherefore called a prince?

A week I ponder

Should I twist the pact?

Become a reaper

Slay cosmic horrors

Both eldritch and fae

What say you to that?

When she at least agreed to meet, I thought I would rejoice

But once conditions heard, I promptly lost my voice

A reaper? Truly? But why would she wish so?

What could my kind have ever done to be considered foe?

Art thou so blind, then?

How these girls recruit?

Risk naught, asking all

How should they be judged?

14 February 2024

I am not entirely happy with this. The deal Isaac agrees to at the end, in particular, seems far too unbalanced and idiotic even for this version of Isaac, especially when I don’t think that’s going to cause significant problems later. If it does, I still need to make it more believable.

The two fairies looked over his note and studied him carefully. Lena asked, “And what will you give us in return?”

Huh? Isaac blinked and cocked his head.

“You are requesting a service of us, are you not?” said Frieda. “Quite a difficult one at that. So, how will you compensate us?”

That… actually seemed quite fair. He felt at his coin pouch; he doubted the amount in there would tempt them. What else did he have of value?

One idea struck him, and with some trepidation he unbuckled his sword and set it on the table, sheathe and all. Yet the two fairies merely looked at it disdainfully.

“That's it?” Lena asked.

“He could be offering his swordsmanship as well,” Frieda posited. “How else would we know how to use it?”

Isaac flinched and shook his head. The sword he could part with, but his skill… The thought made him shudder. But what else could he offer? He took back the paper and quill to write, “What would you want of me?”

They studied him for a time. “What about three moments of your time, picked at our discretion?”

“Or perhaps… your thirst for adventure?” Lena walked up and used Isaac’s chin to turn his head to the side. “Yours is surprisingly powerful, after all.”

Cold beads of sweat trailed down Isaac’s back. His thirst for adventure? Who would he even be without that? And three moments of time… It sounded like a good deal at first, but it seemed suspiciously like owing the fairies a debt. Isaac felt grateful for all of Maleficent’s dry lectures on magic. With a shake of his head, he wrote. “I’d rather not pick those. Is there something I could do as a prince?”

Lena huffed and turned away, but Frieda continued to stare at him, unblinking. Finally, she said, “Do you have power to let the fae freely and legally enter Lowenveil?”

He did not. Especially after what had happened with Aurora, his mother would never allow that. And even if and when Isaac became king, he knew better than to just open the doors to any fae who asked. But… if it was just these two…

“The fae in general, I cannot,” he wrote. “But especially if you help return the princess, I am sure I can convince the queen to make exception for the two of you, and let you walk openly. And so the two of you, and only the two of you among the fae, would have free access to Lowenveil.”

After reading his words, Frieda leaned back and nodded to herself. Lena sneered, however. “And what of her? The Fairy-killer? We know your family has dealings with that witch. What protection can you offer us?”

Isaac blinked. “I can try to convince her to spare you, to leave you be. She is my godmother; with the help you’re offering, I should be able to prevent her from harming you.”
“And if you cannot?”

For a long time, Isaac paused. He had an idea, but was it worth the risk? Finally he put his pen to paper. “Then you can have me. Whatever I have at that point is yours.”

Both fairies’ eyes lit up at that, and wide, almost cruel smiles formed on their faces. “Agreed.”

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.”

8 February 2024

Lena herself had transformed into a nervous-looking woman with a hint of buck teeth. She frowned at Frieda for a moment, then huffed and plopped into a chair, arms folded. “Fine. But if they’re here to arrest us after all, I’m turning them both into frogs.”

Isaac refrained from commenting. He hadn’t paid much attention during Maleficent’s lessons, but he did know enough to know that wasn’t possible. There were plenty of other unpleasant things she could do, though. “No worries. That’s not why we’re here at all.” Then he had the most brilliant idea. “Could you help us find our way though the Lost Wood? We’re pretty sure that’s where Gothel took my sister, but we have no way of getting past her magic ourselves.”

Lena narrowed her eyes. “Why don’t you get the fairy-killer to do it? Surely she can handle something like that.”

With a shrug, Isaac replied, “Apparently, Gothel is terrified enough of Maleficent to put up wards and things specifically to defend against her. Something about old grudges?”

Both Lena and Frieda nodded, as if that made perfect sense. Isaac himself didn’t quite get it, but that didn’t matter. Frieda asked, “So what do we get out of this?”

“Hm?”

“What kind of payment are you offering for helping you get your sister back?”

29 January 2024

This isn’t canonical. It was an alternate idea I briefly considered of pulling in other shenanigans for the more bull-headed version of Aurora, but I think that would have gotten complicated. That, or I was just reading a lot of magical girl-themed stuff on Royal Road at the time, and decided to play with it a bit.

“Too easy,” the creature said, picking at a fingernail.

Rapunzel sputtered. Here she was, offering up her cleverness, her health… She was even putting her life on the line! And this diminutive furball had the gall to say that was too easy?

Reading her thoughts–whether through her expression or more magical means, Rapunzel couldn’t tell–the creature said, “You were willing to let go of all that long before the princeling ever showed up at your doorstep. You’d already resigned yourself to a short life.” Then the creature smiled far too wide for its face, and with far too many teeth. “No. What I want is far more precious than that. I want your leisure.”

“My leisure?”.

The creature nodded. “Suppose I do as you ask. Let them all free, wake them up. As an added bonus, say I even let you live as well. What happens then?”

It took a moment for Rapunzel to understand what he was getting at. There’s no way her family would let her go after all this. She wouldn’t be going back to her Tower. No, she’d have duties, responsibilities, expectations.

She’d have to become a princess.

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?”