Faerie Tales

Challenge #02859-G302: Fae Fascination

The Fates, the Benevolent ones, In olden times mothers used to leave cake and wine so they'd look kindly on a newborn. She was no fool, a neatly sliced black forest cake, a bottle of very good dessert wine and a bag of superfine merino fleece. -- Nonn7mouse

Upon bringing a newborn into the house, it is tradition to give a gift to the Fae to prevent the child being stolen, and so that the Benevolent Ones look kindly upon the new life in the home and lands. At this point, it must be noted that they are called "Benevolent Ones" with the same optimism someone calls a growling dog with orange eyebrows "nice doggy". For almost a hundred years, nobody took it seriously, leaving a cheap bottle of wine and a low-budget cake somewhere within a fungus circle or within a suitably fae nature spot.

The child in the crook of her arm had been born small, born ill, and born at great risk to herself to the point where it was inadvisable to birth any other child. He was healthy enough to be at home, but the doctors insisted she should call the instant anything went wrong. Nobody really believed in the Fair Folk any more. Not seriously. Nevertheless, Lyla reasoned, it was time to pull out the Big Guns.

With her tiny son close to her chest, she cooked the best black forest gateau that she could find. She unearthed a bottle of the finest wine from her uncle's cellar. That was gift of the kitchen, and gift of the vine... for a good future, one must also include a gift of the field. Well. She wouldn't be spinning any time soon...

Support me on Patreon / Buy me a Ko-fi

Prompts remaining: 68 Submit a Prompt! Ask a question! Buy my stories!

Challenge #02857-G300: The Curse/Blessing of Brightherald

Her child, one of several otherwise unwanted waifs within the village that she'd adopted, brought him to Ma. An older woman who was scarred and, yet, quite strong. She never gave up hope. He was old, he was poor, and he spent a great deal of time hungry. She'd seen him begging before, but had never had a chance to speak to him. When he was lead to her by one of her children during the Sunshine Festival, she had the chance

Challenge #02829-G272: Outside Influences

Before humans knew that beings existed outside of their own world, before, in fact, humans had gone much further than sending a couple of people to their local moon, they visited. They'd always managed to remain hidden, but their work was kinda starting to get noticed. They'd find those who were sick and injured, and amongst the human there were many. Mostly, they worked with kids, however. At night, when the entire area was asleep, they would take the children aboard their

Challenge #02807-G250: The True Story

I ask you not as emperor, but as a father. I do not demand you become her protector, I humbly request that you become her friend. -- Anon Guest

You know the story of the Lindwyrm. Or rather, you think you know it. You know the most of it. Stories change with each teller. Some add. Some subtract. Names are lost, times and places blur until all that's left is the phrase, Once upon a time...

By then, almost all of the

Challenge #02778-G221: To Walk Away

Call it what you will, the dollar shop, the thing store, they are inevitably tied to poky little book stores designed by Escher in that they contain far more than they should, and often never store the same thing twice. They are inevitably attractive to maker types as they have things you cannot find elsewhere, or ever again. They also have the phenomenon of wandering in "for a quick look-around," and emerging days later with a full shopping bag, an empty wallet,

Challenge #02774-G217: Finding a Smile

"No, thank you."

...

"Get that out of my face."

...

"STOP" -- Anon Guest

They said, Give a sweet thing to a sour face. Which was the very essence of the Sunshine Festival. Enough smiles, and the sun would rise, bringing an end to the cold of winter. Which was why the marketplace was overloaded with cloth flowers that had been soaked in cloying perfume. Honey-cakes abounded. Beautiful music filled every corner and turned every road into a cacophony.

Compliments that usually didn't

Challenge #02643-G086: Fae Trade

Everyone goes somewhere when they sleep. Dreamland is the most common name, but some just think it's your unconscious figuring itself out or filing away memories. But then there are those who knows what it really is. A whole other world where your true self, the self unbound by your physical body, is able to go. In this world, if you can focus yourself enough to consciously travel it, is a shop. A funny little shop keeper knows the ones who are

Challenge #02539-F349: Death Came Knocking

It seemed to him, he was born under a curse. He could always tell, with just a touch, how and when someone was going to die. Out of fear, his mother and step-father had sent him to live with a relative, the relative sent him to an orphanage, and the orphanage, as soon as he was big enough, sent him to live alone in one of the out-buildings, though they at least made sure he didn't starve. He had no friends, and,

Challenge #02466-F276: One Game Round

"I won't let you harm this child!"

"It's not even your kin, why would you protect him?"

"His mom will whoop my ass if I don't." -- Anon Guest

Of all the occupations in Human history, childcare has to be among one of the least respected. It is expected to be easy. It is not. Especially when the child being cared for is not one's own. Especially when that child has a fae-wrought destiny.

For those unfamiliar with the Fae, they are

Challenge #02346-F156: Darby O'Gill Sends His Regards

https://cheeseanonioncrisps.tumblr.com/post/169821900050/a-lot-of-humans-are-weird-posts-play-with-the

Dear InterNutter,

Since you have blessed us with all your lovely writings of the many wondrous worlds you have created while juggling life, kids and painful weather phenomenon I would like to give you something to enjoy reading instead of writing about. Although it's not mine to give, please enjoy it.

Thank you! -- Amberfox

[AN: the text in this link is way too long to transcribe, so please read it in a new tab

Challenge #02281-F091: The Threshold

You'll need the wayback machine. A man stands in front of a door. It can lead anywhere. Dare you step through? -- Anon Guest

Presented for your approval, the image of a man in a grey suit. The man is also in tones of grey. To see him, and the door he offers you, is to see into different realities where anything from creeping horror to sublime delight awaits on the other side. It is, without a doubt, the trip of a

Challenge #02264-F074: Health Spa and Karma Services

"Death is a door,

Time is a window,

I will come back" - Vigor (Ghostbusters II)

One human has this as his motto for life. -- Anon Guest

They say that the lands of Death are the undiscovered country. They say that mortality is the absolute final frontier, because nobody comes back. Imagine thinking that that is your limit. Imagine being that ignorant. In brief, imagine life before necromancy.

Yes, yes, yes. Subverting the natural flow of the cycle of life and

Challenge #02043-E219: Through th' Crack's Mirror

Humans had lost against the Fae. The Orcs, and Fairies, Gnomes, and Centaurs, all the "mythical" creatures had banded together and drove us to near extinction. But unlike us, they weren't monsters. We had after all started the war. And the small group of survivors, stripped of magic, were sent to a reality where no natural magic existed. Banished to the fringes, that's where our stories came from, an attempt to keep the history before alive. And remember the times that the

Challenge #01934-E110: True Tall Tale

You can find out a lot about a Nation by reading it's 'fairy tales'. -- Anon Guest

Civilisation tells stories. Oral history, moral fables, just-so legends, and in the case of humans, rampant fiction that builds and mutates as it goes. And every now and again, you meet the Fae Tales. Stories of otherworldly beings who have mental processes that squirm like worms, who steal children for laughs, who either prey on the mad or avoid them like the plague. There's something

Challenge #01857-E033: A Best-laid Plan

The evil has been slain, the entire nation celebrates in the streets and now, the beautiful Princess who was saved very publicly confesses her love and the King offers her hand in marriage to the noble Hero… Except the Hero was already married - to the woman who sells potions and medicines; she had been aiding the Hero since the quest to save the princess first began, and their love grew more with each visit. Also, the Hero isn’t a Hero,

Menu

A 58-post collection

Challenge #02859-G302: Fae Fascination

Challenge #02857-G300: The Curse/Blessing of Brightherald

Challenge #02829-G272: Outside Influences

Challenge #02807-G250: The True Story

Challenge #02778-G221: To Walk Away

Challenge #02774-G217: Finding a Smile

Challenge #02643-G086: Fae Trade

Challenge #02539-F349: Death Came Knocking

Challenge #02466-F276: One Game Round

Challenge #02346-F156: Darby O'Gill Sends His Regards

Challenge #02281-F091: The Threshold

Challenge #02264-F074: Health Spa and Karma Services

Challenge #02043-E219: Through th' Crack's Mirror

Challenge #01934-E110: True Tall Tale

Challenge #01857-E033: A Best-laid Plan