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Post by Stephanie (swordlilly) on Aug 8, 2023 19:16:29 GMT -5
The timing of when it goes up can vary a lot. Sometimes it gets posted in the early morning before I wake up (I live in Pacific time). Sometimes it gets posted in the late afternoon. There have also been occasions when the daily update was skipped completely.
Now that a new member of TNT seems to be helping with the contests, though, hopefully we'll see more consistency.
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Post by RielCZ on Sept 7, 2023 13:24:01 GMT -5
I was kinda proud of what I put in for the 3rd slot (perhaps especially because I wrote it in only 20 mins heh), so I thought I'd share it here. ...It was her playground rival, Anais. Not only had the two been tied for the best and brightest student at Fyora's Junior College of Faerie Arts, but their names were so similar that everyone confused the two with each other. But whereas as Anise was ordered, Anais was... well, she was chaotic.
"Greetings Anise. I see you weren't good enough to make the Earth Faerie cohort and had to piggyback off my success yet again?" Anais chided.
Anise's lips curled into a scowl. "For all I know, someone in the Administrative Offices screwed up and thought we were the same person and now I have to lower myself to be with you, here."
Anais attempted to bitterly laugh it off, but ultimately harrumphed -- there very well could have been some truth in that. She waved her hand dismissively. "Well... whatever," she grumbled before crossing her arms. "I think we can, at the very least, give each other space and not bait each other. We're older and wiser now, after all."
Anise gave a neutral expression, albeit with a pleasant demeanour. "I completely agree." If she had to endure Dark Faerie classes for a couple of days before she could get her situation sorted out... so be it. Better to do that than not be in the Academy at all.
"What's your first class?" the Earth Faerie asked, making small talk. "You'd better get to it," she continued with a barely perceptible smirk. "You never were the punctual one, and class starts really soon."
"You're one to talk," the Dark Faerie retorted. "Clearly, you're as late as I am!"
"Admissions woes, remember?" the Earth Faerie bemusedly replied.
Anais narrowed her eyes and scrutinized her class list. "Hmm... Potion Making 101."
Anise sighed. "Same. I guess I'll follow you..." Considering I missed all of August, anyone here have much luck with the STC lately?  |
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Post by Kat on Sept 7, 2023 18:09:47 GMT -5
Not since my double win, nope.
My part was Anise meeting a cousin who's the most perfect earth faerie who offers her a deal - she'll teach Anise how to be the perfect earth faerie but at a price. I thought that was good but a lot of my entries that I think are good just aren't cutting it lately.
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Post by RielCZ on Sept 8, 2023 1:25:50 GMT -5
That would have been a good story direction too, Kat ! You were right in it being an earth faerie relative, heh. EDIT: congrats on your 65k-th post.  I ended up submitting an entry for the next slot, too. The more I thought about the implications of the winning third slot, the more I realized I found fascinating the subtext that faeries aren't "born" with their element but are rather raised in it, and could instead potentially switch/hone a different element than that in which they were raised. I'm not sure if site lore has really explored that, but I wanted to explore it in the STC.  Anyway, per usual, will post if it doesn't win. EDIT: Alright, here it is. Could possibly reuse some of it, but I'd have to give that some more thought. ***
...The plan, in the end, was merely to have Anise meet with Delina. Delina was the lead academic guidance counsellor for the Academy's Dark Faerie students -- a busy and somewhat unenviable administrative position to have, especially at the start of the academic year. But Daisy pulled a few strings around the Academy and arranged for her younger sister and Delina to meet far sooner than Delina's "next available appointment".
Delina smiled at Anise, sitting across from her at the Dark Faerie's office desk. "So what is it that brings you in today? Your sister Daisy told me that you're... questioning your elemental identity?"
Anise sighed with more defeat than bother. "I... guess so? But it's not necessarily me questioning it... I grew up in a family of Earth Faeries, I've always considered myself to be an Earth Faerie... despite me never being all that great at being an Earth Faerie... Anyway, the Academy assigned me to the Dark Faerie gate."
"And how did that make you feel?" the Dark Faerie inquired with a raised eyebrow.
Anise frowned. "Bad, honestly. Like I'm letting my family down. And aren't all you Dark Faeries..." She looked around conspiratorially. "Evil?" she added, her voice barely above a whisper.
Delina's smile shifted to become more... mischievous? "If you believe the Illusen-Jhudora media narrative tales, sure. But as a Dark Faerie, I for sure can attest to there being good Earth Faeries, like the Grass Faerie. And I hope that you, raised an Earth Faerie, don't see me as evil." She grinned playfully.
Anise had to smile at that. "No, you're right, you're nice."
"Alright, that now settled." Delina sat back in her chair. "As Daisy told me she told you, Fyora's Academy of Faerie Arts has never once misidentified a student. You might be the first. Or," she countered with a neutral expression as she leaned forward over her craft-cluttered desk, "perhaps Admissions saw something in you that you haven't yet seen in yourself. Though if you'd really like, I can see what I can do about getting you into the Earth Faerie group. Or," she continued, a smile forming across her purple lips, "you can take this as an opportunity for self-investigation and personal growth." She flung her hands excitedly into the air. "College is a time for self-discovery. Your future will be shaped not just by what you learn here, but by really and truly learning who are at your core, what you believe and know to be true."
The Earth Faerie -- if she was, in fact, an Earth Faerie -- frowned pensively. Anise had never felt like she truly fit in with the other Earth Faeries... and that just narrowed her outlook and made her try all the harder to hone the earth element, oftentimes with disastrous results (like the herb garden, or the wildfire).
Could it be that she just wasn't born to be an Earth Faerie?
"So I challenge you," Delina finished, "to spend a week in Dark Faerie classes -- and it's not all evilness and vileness, trust me -- and if it's not for you, I'll have you placed with the Earth Faerie first years. And if it is for you, great, less short-term administrative work for me." She grinned. "What do you say, Anise...?" |
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Post by Kat on Sept 11, 2023 18:12:40 GMT -5
Another day, another "I thought one of these entries will win". I went into how Jhudora figures out Anise's problem but the winning entry just takes us up to Delina arriving at the Bluff. The hopeful smile on Anise's face flickered and vanished. Even Daisy looked skeptical at Delina's answer.
"Jhu...dora?" Anise repeated, trying not to sound disappointed or dubious - yet managing to sound disappointed and dubious at the same time. Jhudora was one of the more well-known dark faeries, and going to her felt more like confirmation that Anise was not an earth faerie at all.
Daisy cleared her throat. "Are you sure, Delina?"
"I may be the Crafting Faerie, but there are crafts that are...well, beyond my understanding. Don't worry, Jhudora may seem like a bad Negg sometimes, but she's not as evil as others say she is."
* * *
"Delina, if this is about getting another jar of my poisonous fog for your experiments..." Jhudora's voice trailed off as her amethyst eyes hovered over Daisy before resting on Anise. She sighed. "Let me guess. They're from F.A.F.A. And..." The dark faerie stopped again and squinted at Anise. "What's your name?"
"I'm...I'm Anise."
"When she enrolled in Fyora's Academy of Faerie Arts, she expected to join the earth faerie program like her sister," Delina explained, gesturing to Daisy. "But Anise was sent to the dark faerie program."
Anise tried to find her voice again. "And...and, I-I don't think I'm a dark faerie. My entire family is all earth faeries."
"Yeah, I couldn't tell," said Jhudora acidly, wrinkling her nose at the little flowers blooming at Daisy's feet in the grass. "So, the little mystery faerie wants to know what her element is. And why should I help her?"
Delina leaned toward Jhudora, who in turn inched away slightly.
"Because you'll find Anise to be a very interesting case."
Jhudora squinted at Anise, gestured with her hands, and finally swept a hand toward the entrance of the Bluff.
"This better be worth my time, Delina, or you won't be getting any more fog from me."
* * *
As Anise sat across from her, Jhudora probed a crystal ball on her table, tapping it occasionally with her wand. She scowled in thought, reading the venomous green and purple mists that swirled within the crystal.
"You," said Jhudora, pointing to Daisy with her wand. "Make something grow. Anything."
"E-Er, okay..." Daisy did as she was told, and already a patch of daisies sprouted from the table, in front of Anise.
"Anise, right? Well, see if you can make more daisies grow. Or make them bigger. Whatever. Use your earth magic."
Anise furrowed her brows and concentrated on the flowers her sister had created. She pictured them in her mind's eye, flourishing, growing bigger, maybe multiplying? If she weren't so intimidated by Jhudora, she would probably make a carpet of flowers on the table, as a little joke -
"Aaaaah!"
However, instead of creating a carpet of daisies, or bigger daisies, Anise saw all the flowers wilted and dead, dried up on the table. Daisy's hand had flown to her mouth, while Delina looked as though she had expected this result, and at the same time, had hoped for something different.
Jhudora chuckled as she put down her wand.
"Congratulations. What was supposed to be the gift of life and vigor is now the gift of death in your hands, Anise. Delina, you were right. This was an interesting case," the dark faerie added as though Anise had merely been a fun experiment.
"Wh-what do you mean?" Anise asked.
"Earth faeries bring life and make things grow. You, on the other hand, have the gift of destroying them. Your gift with the earth is a grim reversion of your sister's. You are a dark version of an earth faerie..." * * *
Anise's heart seemed to sink lower and lower as she, Daisy, and Delina approached Jhudora's Bluff. The foreboding fortress that was Jhudora's home loomed before them, framed by jagged rocks, overlarge trees, and of course, heralded by the precarious cliff overlooking the rest of Faerieland.
Daisy squeezed her hand tightly. "Remember what I said. No matter what kind of faerie you are, you'll always be family."
"Thanks, but...I really do wish I was an earth faerie like you, and not a dark faerie."
"What's wrong with being a dark faerie?"
It wasn't Delina who asked that. As the three of them landed in front of the stone fortress, Jhudora emerged to meet them, her lips curled in distaste.
"Well?"
"Um...uh, n-nothing," said Anise, who did not want to meet Jhudora's venomous gaze. "It's just that...my family, including my sister Daisy, are all earth faeries. And that's what I've always wanted to be."
"Anise was listed with the dark faeries at Fyora's Academy of Faerie Arts," Delina explained, "despite coming from a family of earth faeries. We thought you could figure out...what sort of faerie she really is."
Jhudora arched one eyebrow. "And why should I help you?"
"Because," said Delina smoothly, "you still owe me for the time I fixed your cauldron."
The other dark faerie groaned, but pulled a crystal ball out from thin air, holding it in her hands. Purple and green mists swirled about inside.
"Fine, but if I see you hanging around my Bluff gathering stuff for your arts and crafts without my permission one more time, Delina..."
No one did find out what would happen if Delina trespassed within Jhudora's domain, because Jhudora turned to Daisy next and said, "You. Make something grow. Anything."
"Er...o-okay." Daisy crouched down and placed her hands on the grass of the Bluff. Immediately a patch of daisies came up from the ground, beautiful and perfect and everything, Anise thought to herself, she could never become.
As Jhudora waved a hand over her crystal ball, she inclined her head toward Anise. "Anise, right? See if you can make more daisies grow. Or make them bigger. Whatever. Use earth magic...if you even have it."
Anise furrowed her brows and concentrated on the flowers her sister had created. She pictured them in her mind's eye, flourishing, growing bigger, maybe multiplying? If she weren't so intimidated by Jhudora, she would probably make an entire carpet of flowers, both to prove a point and as a little joke -
"Aaaaah!"
However, instead of creating a carpet of daisies, or bigger daisies, Anise saw all the flowers wilted, dead, dried up. Daisy's hand had flown to her mouth, while Delina looked as though she had expected this result, and at the same time, had hoped for something different.
Jhudora grinned - a small, intrigued grin.
"Delina, you were right. This was an interesting case," the dark faerie said as though this had all just been a quirky school experiment.
"Wh-what do you mean?" Anise asked, feeling a pit form in her stomach. This was the herb garden incident, all over again, and possibly even more embarrassing.
"The good news is, you are an earth faerie, Anise."
"She is?" Daisy asked at the same time Anise exclaimed with delight, "I am?"
"Wait." Delina narrowed her eyes. "If you said that's the good news, then...what's the bad news?"
The crystal ball had vanished from Jhudora's hands, leaving her free to gesture toward Anise.
"She's not exactly an ordinary earth faerie," said Jhudora. "She can't be listed with the other earth faeries, because her powers negate theirs. Death and destruction, instead of life and vigor. She fits more with other dark faeries, though I would say she is...an anti-earth faerie..." |
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Post by RielCZ on Sept 11, 2023 19:45:00 GMT -5
Another day, another "I thought one of these entries will win". Same. (Admittedly I'm starting to wonder just how disadvantaged long-time STCers are under the current post-Stone judge heh.) I adapted my earlier entry but explicitly drew out the elemental re-honing. Given my oft characterization of Jhudora (as someone who genuinely wants to be nice but is generally too wrapped up in her maintaining her public image of "evil"), I found the words I previously wrote for Delina to be more fitting coming from Jhudora. (I also heavily alluded to STC 907 in so doing.) Anyway, here it was: ...Anise's heart sunk. Of all the Faeries to assess her merits as an Earth Faerie -- or, Fyora forbid, a Dark Faerie -- it was going to be Jhudora?
Daisy read her sister's face, and she turned toward Delina. "You might be the chief guidance counsellor for the Dark Faeries, but I'm sure Anise does not approve of having to visit Jhudora," she asserted.
"Believe me," Delina replied matter-of-factly, "Jhudora isn't half as bad as the standard media narrative makes her out to be. Stern and somewhat callous, rough around the edges, sure... but since she generally made up with Illusen and was reaccepted into Fyora's 'good books', she's done quite well at reintegrating into Faerieland society." The Dark Faerie smiled. "She's on sabbatical until the end of the term -- hence, she's at her Bluff -- but I honestly can't imagine anyone else teaching the Dark Faeries senior-year potion making or Magical Artifacts."
Anise opened her mouth to protest, but was unable to formulate the words. "Er... alright, you can take me to her," she sighed.
Daisy squeezed her hand. "You're so strong l'il sis," the Earth Faerie commended. "Anyway, I have to run to class and then catch up on homework. You go show Jhudora what you're made of, I'll see you at home later tonight. No matter what happens, I love and support you."
Anise smiled up at her.
"We'll go during Lunch Break today, after Period 3," Delina finished with a barely perceptible smile at the freshwoman. "Now, you'd best get to your next class."
***
Anise's other classes went by... fairly smoothly, she had to admit to herself. Her second period class -- Faerieland History 101 -- was common to all elements, and though she sat beside and introduced herself to some other Earth Faeries it felt awkward because she felt like an outsider looking in; the course content wasn't too difficult on the first day, but it certainly seemed like it was going to ramp up fast. Her third period class, however, was literally learning about different classes of toys that Dark Faeries could ask for from questers, and the course was going to be about how she could use said toys for dark magic pursuits. That was a fun class, and the girl beside Anise -- a rather prim dark Faerie with mauve hair, a raspberry beret, and an obvious sense of fashion -- even complimented Anise on her "avant garde druidic outfit."
Lunch came all too soon, it seemed. Anise went to Delina's office and the two left the Academy. After a short flight, they found themselves at Jhudora's Bluff.
Delina introduced Anise to Jhudora and briefly explained the situation to the infamous Dark Faerie, but then had to leave back to the Academy. "It might be lunch but I most certainly am not on break, I really must get back to my desk," the Crafting Faerie finished with an almost apologetic smile. "I have to grant permissions for class changes, class overrides, menial work like that. Lots of students come to me on the first day of class." Anise acknowledged Delina's role was an unenviable administrative position to have, especially at the start of the academic year.
Jhudora and Anise sat facing each other in some wicker chairs -- no doubt a gift from Illusen -- overlooking Jhudora's brambly garden. "So Delina told me that you're... questioning your elemental identity?" She smiled wickedly at the young faerie.
Anise pouted and sighed with more defeat than bother. "I... guess so? I grew up in a family of Earth Faeries, I've always considered myself to be an Earth Faerie... But the Academy assigned me to the Dark Faerie gate."
"And how did that make you feel?" the Dark Faerie inquired with a frown and raised eyebrow.
Anise groaned inwardly. She felt like she was being interrogated. "Er... Bad, honestly. Like I'm letting my family down."
"Letting them down? How so?"
"By... not being an Earth Faerie?" She felt like that was a dumb answer, but she wasn't sure why. "Also, Dark Faeries and Earth Faeries... don't get along, right?" she continued, trying to elaborate on her thoughts. "Mortal enemies or something?"
Jhudora cackled at that. "Dark is the opposite of Light, not Earth, sweetie. And even then, I'm friendly enough with my Light Faerie colleagues. There really isn't as much elemental infighting as you'd expect. Personalities clash, not elements, per se. And in terms of the Dark-Earth elements, it was mostly just Illusen and I who didn't get along..." Jhudora looked wistfully at the ground. "Sure, Earthie and I made up, but it can never be the same as it once was..." she trailed pensively, before refocusing her attention on Anise. She smiled at the pupil, semi-sarcastically. "But I should hope you found some of your classmates to be nice, at least."
Anise had to chuckle at that, and she felt more at ease after Jhudora's words. "You're right. My classmates were so... diverse and eclectic. Way different than I thought Dark Faeries would be. They were nice. And just like Faeries of any other element. I actually felt like I... kinda fit in with them." Anise stopped short of admitting that she never felt like she truly fit in with other Earth Faeries... and that just narrowed her outlook and made her try all the harder to hone the earth element, oftentimes with disastrous results (like the herb garden, or the wildfire).
"We are known for being somewhat out of the Faerie ordinary." Jhudora grinned, showing her slight fangs. "How did your classes go, anyway? Which was your favourite thus far?"
The young Faerie frowned. "Classes went surprisingly... smooth, actually." The corners of her lips raised into a small smile. "And definitely the class about toys."
"That is a fan favourite. I'm glad to hear today's gone well for you. Or at least as well it could go, given the gate you entered." Jhudora sat back in her chair. "As you may have heard before, Fyora's Academy of Faerie Arts has never once misidentified the gate of a student. You might be the first. Or," she countered with a neutral expression as she leaned forward, "perhaps Admissions saw something in you that you haven't yet seen in yourself. It's not necessarily common, but it's certainly not unheard of for a Faerie to find herself better suited to a different element than that in which she was raised, and to re-hone her element and make an elemental 'switch' as it were."
Anise reflected on this. She hadn't before heard that that was possible. Could it be that she just... wasn't born to be an Earth Faerie?
But, there was no way that she could be anything other than an Earth Faerie... right?
Jhudora looked down at her fingernails. "If you want my opinion -- and of course you do, otherwise you wouldn't be here -- I think, your judgemental attitude aside, you make a good case for being, well, a Dark Faerie. But it's not for me to say. " She looked up at the pupil, and pointed at her. "It's for YOU to say, and ultimately decide." A grin spread across her green lips. "The Academy is a time for self-discovery and personal growth. Your future will be shaped not just by what you learn in your classes, but by really and truly defining who you are at your core, learning who you want to be, and growing into her."
She paused for dramatic effect. "I challenge you to spend the rest of the week as a Dark Faerie. If it's not for you, and you'd rather go 'back' to being an Earth Faerie, I'll help you switch classes and get placed with the Earth Faerie first years. And if it is for you, well..." she trailed almost mischievously. "What do you say, Anise...?" Anyway Kat, I liked the way you formulated Anise as an anti-earth faerie! That would be an interesting problem for her to try to overcome, considering it kind of makes Anise, like, the supreme outsider -- not really a Dark Faerie, but certainly not a standard Earth Faerie, either. So, I wonder what her next move would be... At this point, though, I think I need to cut the idea that the Delina in the story is Delina the crafting faerie heh. After numerous entries where this wasn't brought up, and given that her written visual description didn't really match the crafting faerie's, I'm just gonna presume Delina is some other student or something from here on out. |
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Post by Gelquie on Sept 11, 2023 21:21:15 GMT -5
I really like all your entries, Kat and Riel! Either of those would've made me excited. Since we only just go to the Bluff in the actual entry, if you're inclined tonight (or whatever time it is where you are), maybe you could still incorporate your ideas in the next entry?
Meanwhile, I read to catch up and hopefully have an idea for the next entry, because it's been so long since I've written and this is such an intriguing story to me. But aaah, yours are so good. xD If I come up with my own take before bedtime, I'll try for it, but I make no promises.
EDIT: Welp, I submitted. xD We'll see!
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Post by Kat on Sept 12, 2023 18:14:55 GMT -5
Another day, another "I thought one of these entries will win". Same. (Admittedly I'm starting to wonder just how disadvantaged long-time STCers are under the current post-Stone judge heh.) After failing to get in again, me too. The winner also already has two wins for this contest. I've tried to play with my idea of Anise being a Different faerie but I guess I'll have to retool it Again. "Delina, why do you always knock so much? Sheesh, just one or two knocks are fine, I can hear you."
Anise had braced herself for Jhudora's reaction when the door opened, but all Jhudora did was sigh in exasperation and roll her eyes as Delina waved cheerfully at her.
"And who's this?" Anise flinched when Jhudora's gaze hovered over her. She felt like the dark faerie's amethyst eyes were boring into her, seeking out her secrets, her insecurities, her fears...
"This," said Delina, "is Anise. She's a new student at Fyora's Academy of Faerie Arts."
"I don't teach classes at F.A.F.A.," Jhudora interrupted. "So why is she here?"
"She came from a family of earth faeries, but she was listed with the dark faeries," Delina replied, unfazed by Jhudora's scowl. "She thinks it's a mistake, but personally, I don't think so. Still, it can't hurt to get a second, more accurate opinion." She grinned.
Jhudora did not return the grin. "And why is that my problem?"
"Because you'll find Anise to be a very interesting case."
Pondering this, Jhudora glanced from one faerie to the other, stroking her chin. Finally, she shrugged and gestured for Delina and Anise to enter her castle before Anise could wonder what Delina had meant by a "very interesting case".
"What's wrong with being a dark faerie?" she asked as Anise stepped into her domain. "And don't touch anything. Not unless I tell you to."
"Um...uh, n-nothing," said Anise, who did not want to meet Jhudora's venomous gaze. "It's just that...my family, like my sister Daisy, are all earth faeries. And that's what I've always wanted to be. That's...all I ever knew I would be."
"Funny how that works out," Jhudora commented absently as she pointed to her table - a nondescript wooden table. But as Delina moved to take her seat, Jhudora shook her head. "No, not you. You, get that pot full of Twisting Vines and put it on the table. You...Anise, was it? Sit down."
Anise didn't see much of a choice in the matter, so she did as she was told. Delina placed the pot full of Twisting Vines in front of the young faerie.
"What now?" Delina asked.
Jhudora paid Delina no attention. "See if you can make these Twisting Vines grow even more. Or make them multiply. Whatever. Use earth magic...if you even have it."
Anise furrowed her brows and concentrated on the vines. She pictured them in her mind's eye, flourishing, growing bigger, flourishing, multiplying like Eizzils. This was her moment. Her time to prove that she was not a disappointment to her family or to herself. Perhaps she would have more luck with the vines than with the herb garden -
"Aaaaah!"
Instead of creating a carpet of Twisting Vines, or making them grow bigger, Anise saw the entire plant wilted, dead, dried up. From the corner of her eye she saw Delina, who looked just as surprised as she was.
This time, Jhudora grinned.
"Delina, you were right. This was an interesting case," the dark faerie said as though this had all just been a quirky school experiment.
"Wh-what do you mean?" Anise asked, feeling a pit form in her stomach. This was the herb garden incident, all over again. On top of the disappointment and frustration she was feeling, now she felt embarrassed.
"The good news is, you are an earth faerie, Anise."
"I - I am?"
"Wait." Delina narrowed her eyes. "If you said that's the good news, then...what's the bad news?"
Jhudora pointed a long, emerald nail toward Anise.
"She's not exactly an ordinary earth faerie," said Jhudora. "She can't be listed with the other earth faeries, because her powers negate theirs. Death and destruction, instead of life and vigor. If I had to guess, there's no specific program for her gift at F.A.F.A., so she was enlisted with other dark faeries."
"Wh-what does that mean?" Anise blurted out, forgetting briefly who she was speaking to.
"It means," said Jhudora, whose grin grew even wider, "that you are an anti-earth faerie..." Then I spun it around some more and zoomed in on "nah you a dark faerie sis" "Delina, why do you always knock so much? Sheesh, just one or two knocks are fine, I can hear you."
Anise had braced herself for Jhudora's reaction when the door opened, but all Jhudora did was sigh in exasperation and roll her eyes as Delina waved cheerfully at her.
"And who's this?" Anise flinched when Jhudora's gaze hovered over her. She felt like the dark faerie's amethyst eyes were boring into her, seeking out her secrets, her insecurities, her fears...
"This," said Delina, "is Anise. She's a new student at Fyora's Academy of Faerie Arts."
"I don't teach classes at F.A.F.A.," Jhudora interrupted. "So why is she here?"
"She came from a family of earth faeries, but she was listed with the dark faeries," Delina replied, unfazed by Jhudora's scowl. "She thinks it's a mistake, but personally, I don't think so. Still, it can't hurt to get a second, more accurate opinion." She grinned.
Jhudora did not return the grin. "And why is that my problem?"
"Because you'll find Anise to be a very interesting case."
Pondering this, Jhudora glanced from one faerie to the other, stroking her chin. Finally, she shrugged and gestured for Delina and Anise to enter her castle before Anise could wonder what Delina had meant by a "very interesting case".
"What's wrong with being a dark faerie?" she asked as Anise stepped into her domain. "And don't touch anything. Not unless I tell you to."
"Um...uh, n-nothing," said Anise, who did not want to meet Jhudora's venomous gaze. "It's just that...my family, like my sister Daisy, are all earth faeries. And that's what I've always wanted to be. That's...all I ever knew I would be. But I can't do what they do - control plants, make flowers grow..."
"Funny how that works out," Jhudora commented absently as she pointed to her table - a nondescript wooden table. But as Delina moved to take her seat, Jhudora shook her head. "No, not you. You, get that pot full of Twisting Vines and put it on the table. You...Anise, was it? Sit down."
Anise didn't see much of a choice in the matter, so she did as she was told. Delina placed the pot full of Twisting Vines in front of the young faerie.
"What now?" Delina asked.
Jhudora paid Delina no attention. "See if you can make these Twisting Vines grow even more. Or make them multiply. Whatever. Use earth magic...if you even have it."
Anise furrowed her brows and concentrated on the vines. She pictured them in her mind's eye, flourishing, growing bigger, flourishing, multiplying like Eizzils. This was her moment. Her time to prove that she was not a disappointment to her family or to herself. Perhaps she would have more luck with the vines than with the herb garden -
Anise gasped.
The Twisting Vines reared up, swayed in the air, and grew longer and longer, tendrils extending down onto the table and toward the floor. Their stalks were plump and healthy, and wove toward Delina, winding around the dark faerie's ankle and tripping her.
This time, Jhudora grinned while Anise apologized profusely and tried to help Delina up.
"Delina, you were right. This was an interesting case," the dark faerie said as though this had all just been a quirky school experiment.
"Wh-what do you mean?" Anise asked. The Twisting Vines extended up to the ceiling of the hall they were in, tickling the stones. She dodged a tendril that had come a bit too close to her. Her heart raced. She had done exactly what she had wanted, and for the first time in her life, she had made something flourish - though it was a patch of sinister, green Twisting Vines. "Wait, stop, stop, that's enough!" Anise commanded the vines - and they immediately stopped, leaving quite a mess in Jhudora's home.
Thankfully Jhudora did not seem to notice the mess - or care.
"D-Does this mean...I am an earth faerie after all?" Anise asked shakily. Yet, even as she said these words, somewhere in the back of her mind, somewhere deep in her heart...she knew there had to be a catch.
Something wasn't right.
Jhudora shook her head.
"Oh, you sweet summer child. I'm afraid not."
"But...but she made those vines grow!" said Delina, prodding one strand of the Twisting Vines with her foot. "Doesn't that mean she's an earth faerie?"
"No," Jhudora answered. She snapped her fingers, and the Twisting Vines receded back into their pot, back to their regular length before Anise had made them grow. "Seems like no one bothered to let you practice on Twisting Vines, or Purple Spotted Shrooms, or Wither Trees, eh? Because if they did, they would've found out what kind of faerie you are, instantly."
"What...what kind of faerie am I, then?" Anise felt a pit grow in her stomach. Somehow, she expected the answer...and at the same time, she did not want to hear it.
"You have power over the dark, ugly, and sinister side of life, my dear Anise," said Jhudora smoothly. "You are a dark faerie. One which specializes in manipulating plants and perhaps other creatures besides..." |
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Post by Gelquie on Sept 12, 2023 20:02:50 GMT -5
I really like your take, Kat! An interesting case indeed, either way. 8D Probably is getting a little late for a twist, but you never know! Maybe I'm having a hard time reading the story's tone, or figuring out what the judge wants for it. Or something. My entry didn't get in, though probably others are better anyway. But for those curious, since I don't think mine fits anymore, here's mine. "Ahh, delightful Delina!" crowed Jhudora as she opened the door. "I've got the tea ready for-- oh?"
Jhudora's happy expression immediately dropped to a shocked neutral, and she absentmindedly adjusted her brooch, gradually shedding her emotionally vulnerable demeanor.
"Jhudora, this is Anise. She's one of the new students at the Academy, enrolled in the Dark Faerie classes. But she's a little distraught, and could use your help."
Anise stiffened as Jhudora looked her over, with what felt like prying, scanning eyes, as if they were piercing her very soul. Then...
"Well, welcome, Anise!" Jhudora made a broad gesture indoors. "Why don't you join us for tea? This is normally just our time, but I'll make an exception for you in this case."
"Uhh..." Anise gave the smallest of nods as she followed the encouraging Delina inside. She couldn't help but still feel intimidated by Jhudora, yet this was already going much better than she had anticipated. The sudden change in behavior when Jhudora saw Anise was disturbing, yet unless Anise was being tricked... No. Even if Jhudora was up to something, Delina wasn't. Besides, she felt oddly comfortable around here. It smelled of various potion vapors that mixed and mingled, yet somehow she found it pleasant.
Her trepidation over a possible trick with the tea disappeared as Jhudora set down a third teacup and began pouring from a deep purple and green teapot. The smell hit her almost instantly. It was a deep and calming...
"The lavender..." Anise mused absently.
"Lavender and lemon balm," Jhudora smiled as she passed around the teacups. "I suppose growing up around earth faeries, you know the herbal scents well."
Anise blinked. "How did you know...?"
"You look like an earth faerie and you're wearing green. But you confirmed my educated guess," Jhudora laughed.
"But drink first," Delina insisted as she took a sip from her own teacup. "I get the feeling you could use the lavender."
With one more skeptical thought about the cup, she indeed drank anyway. It was... nice. An understated relief rippled through her body as she felt herself relax. A familiar feeling with teas, and it tasted and smelled like just most teas, yet with no potency that ever made her feel this much at home before.
"Jhudora, you are quite good at tea making," Anise couldn't help but say. “How did you get the lavender so strong?”
"Why thank you." Jhudora tilted her head. "You notice the lavender a lot, I see.”
“I’ve been smelling it all day, ever since I started classes here. And not because of its presence. Do all dark faeries smell like lavender?”
“Maybe some, but not all notice, be they earth faeries or dark faeries. Has it always stood out to you?”
“I… yes. There’s just something so calming about it. It makes me want to sink into it and feel like home. But I’ve tried to grow it, thinking it was my Earth faerie affinity. It was a complete disaster, like everything else I’ve tried to grow.”
Jhudora let out a small laugh. “Well of course it didn’t!”
After a headtilt from Delina, Jhudora softened her laugh. “I’m sorry. It’s just a lovely feeling when it comes together. Not that it wasn’t clear from the moment I sensed your aura.”
“My… aura?” Trepidation began to creep back into Anise’s voice.
“The magical aura all faeries give off. Jhudora is particularly good at sensing them,” Delina beamed.
“It’s a minty sensation for dark faeries,” Jhudora smirked. “But it comes off different to others. And for dark faeries, it’s more than the scent, it’s how it feels. Like how you went on not just about the smell of lavender, but how it feels. The impact on yourself. How it can impact someone. Something you could use to alter someone, and bring that feeling to them at its full potential. Something I’m sure you’ll learn more in your potions classes.”
Anise blinked, and it was only the feeling of the lavender that kept her mind from twisting and freezing her words entirely. “You’re… really suggesting… that it’s not Earth magic?”
“Oh Anise. I think you already know it’s not, and I think you know exactly what I’m getting at.” Jhudora leaned forward and rested her chin on the back of her hand. “For your own sake, take a moment. Let yourself explore the depths of those scents, and how it feels to you, not anyone else. Admit to yourself your potential and affinity as a Dark Faerie...” |
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Post by RielCZ on Sept 13, 2023 3:07:50 GMT -5
Gelquie , I thought your tone worked pretty well. I really liked how you re-brought in the lavender aspect from earlier in the story. And always gotta love a good tea party.  And we're all having difficultly figuring out what the judge wants heh.Kat , I again liked your entries, but I was partial to the "nah you a dark faerie sis" one. The "You have power over the dark, ugly, and sinister side of life, my dear Anise" line was chillingly good. This was how I retooled mine for that slot (longer with even more Lore TM from Jhudora): ...to reveal the infamous Dark Faerie, with her long emo chic robes and the green stripe down her perfect dark plum hair. "Who dare disturbs the peace of my--" Jhudora's scowl was quickly replaced by a wide grin. "Oh Delina, I haven't seen you since spring! It's awfully nice that you dropped by!" She threw her arms around the Dark Faerie and pulled her inside. "Come in, make yourself at home."
"Much as I'd love to catch up, Jhudora," Delina started, "I've brought Anise, the sister of a pal of mine at the Academy, to come and visit you due to a... 'crisis of elemental identity' of sorts she's been having." And she started to explain the situation to Jhudora.
Anise just followed behind the pair of Dark Faeries, dumbfounded and embarrassed, as the three made their way inside Jhduora's home.
Sensing the freshwoman's frustrations, Jhudora was kind enough to interrupt Delina to elaborate upon their relationship and try to relax the situation. "Delina was my brightest student in senior-level potion making last year, and the glowing recommendation I gave her allowed her to become a TA at the Academy this year while she finishes her Honours thesis. I'd love to see her conduct further research at the Academy and eventually emerge as a professor, but, that's up to her." She smiled widely at Delina, who gave a slight, non-committal smile in return. "But I know she wouldn't waste my time. If she brought you here, Anise, it's important."
"Wait... you're a professor at the Academy?" Anise asked, wide-eyed.
With a smirk, Jhudora nodded. "Senior-level potion making and advanced dark magical artefacts," she proudly replied. "Two classes isn't many, but it fits my lifestyle and my present personal projects as I continue my efforts to reintegrate into Faerieland society. And, it allows me to easily maintain my daily quester schedule... it's taxing to be callous to so many Neopets all the time," she added with a wicked grin. "I'm on sabbatical until the end of this term though."
Delina finished describing Anise's situation to Jhudora just as the infamous Dark Faerie led the three to her drawing room. The decor was sparse, furnished only with a large mauve vanity, a few quarter-sawn chairs (which Jhudora said had been a gift from Illusen), and some ancient weapons lining the dull purple brick walls. Nevertheless, Anise could feel a strong presence of magic radiating through the air, and she was sure that their host had numerous rooms of untold mystery only accessible by Jhudora -- and whomever Jhudora let into her inner sanctum, let see her soul.
They took their seats, and Jhudora turned to face Anise. "So Delina told me that you're... questioning your elemental identity?" She smiled impishly at the young Faerie.
Anise pouted and sighed with more defeat than bother. "I... guess so? I grew up in a family of Earth Faeries, I've always considered myself to be an Earth Faerie... But the Academy assigned me to the Dark Faerie gate."
"And how did that make you feel?" the Dark Faerie inquired with a frown and raised eyebrow.
"Er..." Anise groaned inwardly. She felt like she was being interrogated. "...Bad, honestly. Like I'm letting my family down."
"Letting them down? How so?"
"By... not being an Earth Faerie?" She felt like that was a dumb answer, but she wasn't sure why. "I've always tried so hard to be an Earth Faerie, despite it... not working out sometimes." She glanced pensively at the cold dull purple floor.
"What do you mean?" Jhudora prompted with genuine interest, trying to read the young Faerie's eyes.
Anise hesitated. "There was... an incident with a herb garden one year when I was small. My older sister Daisy helped me start it, and I... well, I ended it. In less than a week. I could never shake the feeling I disappointed my family, but they were so... supportive, even though it looked like a Fire Faerie with a temper had had her way with my herbs." Jhudora chuckled, and Anise desperately wanted to change the subject. "Also, er," she fumbled for words, "Dark Faeries and Earth Faeries... don't get along, right?" she asked. "Mortal enemies or something? I'm not sure my family would approve if I hung around them."
Jhudora cackled at that. "Dark is the opposite of Light, not Earth, sweetie." Her strangely pleasant demeanour returned. "And even then, I'm friendly enough with my Light Faerie colleagues. There really isn't as much elemental infighting as you'd expect. Personalities clash, not elements, per se. And in terms of the Dark-Earth elements, it was mostly just Illusen and I who really didn't get along." Jhudora looked wistfully at the ground. "Sure, things can never quite go back to how they were, but it's mostly water under the bridge between Earthie and I now. Mostly." She refocused her attention on Anise and shot the pupil a semi-sarcastic smile. "I should hope you found some of your classmates to be nice, at least."
Anise had to smile at that, and she felt more at ease after Jhudora's words. "You're right. My classmates were so... diverse and eclectic. Way different than I thought Dark Faeries would be."
"We Dark Faeries are known for being a bit more punkish and out of the Faerie ordinary." Jhudora grinned, showing her slight fangs.
"Yeah, they were nice," Anise continued. "I actually felt like I... kinda fit in with them." Anise stopped short of admitting that she never felt like she truly fit in with other Earth Faeries... and that just narrowed her outlook and made her try all the harder to hone the earth element -- oftentimes with disastrous results.
Jhudora just smiled silently and let Anise sit with her emotions for a few seconds. "How did your classes go, anyway?" she eventually asked.
The young Faerie frowned. "I just had one before Delina brought me here. But it went surprisingly... smooth, actually." The corners of her tugged into a small smile.
"I'm glad to hear that today's gone reasonably well for you. Or at least as well it could go, given the gate you entered." Jhudora sat back in her chair. "As you may have heard before, Fyora's Academy of Faerie Arts has never once misidentified the gate of a student. You might be the first. Or," she countered with a neutral expression as she leaned forward, "perhaps Admissions saw something in you that you haven't yet seen in yourself. It's not necessarily common, but it's certainly not unheard of for a Faerie to find herself better suited to a different element than that in which she was raised, and to re-hone her element and make an elemental 'switch' as it were."
Anise reflected on this. She hadn't before heard that that was possible. Could it be that she just... wasn't born to be an Earth Faerie?
But, there was no way that she could be anything other than an Earth Faerie... right?
"Long before my time, and longer before yours..." Jhudora began, "when us Faeries came to be on Neopia, we weren't associated with any one element. No, Faeries had to attune themselves to the elements to draw their magic. Some Faeries naturally felt connected with the earth, others with the skies, or with water, fire, snow, space, light, and yes, even darkness. And like-minded, like-magicked Faeries stuck together, learned from each other, and formed their own communities. As the centuries went by, it simply became natural for a mother to raise her daughter in her own element, the element of her community. But some Faeries did leave to join other communities with other elements. Eventually the communities grew and amalgamated into Ancient Faerieland -- Faeries being stronger together than apart and all that -- before the Great Faerie-Neopet Altercation sent Faerieland to its previous home in the skies. But that's all an aside."
She looked into Anise's eyes. "So yes, while you may have been taught Earth Faerie magic from a young age, there is ultimately nothing preventing you from attuning yourself with any of the other elements. Some say Fyora has successfully managed to hone all the elements, or at least all the major ones... Though I respectfully disagree," she added, not quite suppressing her slight grumble.
"You should teach Faerieland History 101!" Delina interjected, quickly dispelling the briefly tense atmosphere.
"Suck-up," Jhudora sarcastically spat as she and Delina broke out into giggles. Even Anise had to laugh at the absurdity of the situation in which she found herself.
"Anise." Jhudora looked at her before gazing down at her fingernails. "If you want my opinion -- and of course you do, otherwise you wouldn't be here -- I think, your judgemental attitude aside, you make a good case for being, well, a Dark Faerie. For moving from the Earth community to the Dark cohort. But it's not for me to say." She looked up at the pupil, and pointed at her. "It's for YOU to say, and ultimately decide." A smile spread across her green lips. "The Academy is a time for self-discovery and personal growth. Your future will be shaped not just by what you learn in your classes, but by really and truly defining who you are at your core, learning who you want to be, and growing into her."
She paused for dramatic effect. "I challenge you to spend the rest of the week as a Dark Faerie. If it's not for you, and you'd rather go 'back' to being an Earth Faerie, I'll put in word with Admissions to have you placed into the Earth Faerie first year cohort. And if it is for you, well..." she trailed almost mischievously before nodding at Delina. "And Delina, help her out if she needs it."
Delina nodded at Jhudora and then turned to the "Earth" Faerie with a big smile. "What do you say, Anise...?" I also submitted a longer version with an additional section and different cliffhanger (that was kinda a mix of some of my earlier ideas) as follows: ***
Anise and Delina got back to the Academy just before the end of the lunch break. Anise missed two periods, but she could explain her absence to her family later -- Daisy would back her up. And Delina said she would tell the professors of the classes she missed that she had a valid reason to miss them. Everyone there apparently liked the straight-A student Delina.
The "Dark" Faerie had two more classes today. Anise's fourth period class was literally learning about the different classes of toys that Dark Faeries could ask for from questers, and the course was going to be about how she could use said toys for dark magic pursuits. That was a fun class, and the girl who sat beside Anise -- a rather prim dark Faerie with mauve hair, a raspberry beret, rose-tinted round glasses, and an obvious sense of fashion, whose name just happened to be Anais -- even complimented Anise on her "avant garde druidic chic outfit." Anise blushed -- against all odds, at least to her, maybe she was making a friend?
"It's cool with me that you were raised an Earth Faerie," Anais declared after Anise explained that her outfit wasn't exactly avant garde in her mind. "Doesn't matter where you are or where you're from, you're here in the now, rocking being you. And that's all that matters to me."
Anise couldn't recall a time she had felt as accepted by a Faerie outside her family.
It turned out she shared the last class of the day -- Faerieland History 101 -- with Anais, and they went together and sat beside each other. Faerieland History 101 was a course common to freshwoman of all elements. Before class started, however, Anise overheard two Faeries behind her -- Earth Faeries -- commenting about her and Anais... I ended up writing mostly a new part for "Jhudora's Dark Faerie test", but left the results of the test as the cliffhanger. And, I wrote and submitted a longer version with a tweest that shows the test "results" (and brings back the lore and the additional section above). Lessee. I think we could all make pretty good NT stories out of the ideas of our failed attempts here, anyway. EDIT: HOLY CRAP I actually brute forced my way back in broke my like 3 month long STC dry spell. Pirate PB, could definitely be worse. (Also Kat, I hope you caught the Hubrid's Puzzle Box reference.  ) I had a feeling earlier today that they'd go with my shorter entry. Here was the twist of my longer one: Gingerly, Anise swallowed down the potion. And... nothing happened. At least so it seemed to Anise.
Jhudora cackled in excitement. "Well look at that. You're a Dark Faerie, m'dear!" she said, cantabile; in response, Anise gave a confused expression. "Sweetie, go look in the mirror."
With furious excitement, Anise ran out of the room and toward the pink vanity she remembered seeing in the drawing room.
Delina turned to face her instructor, pouting. "But your potion wasn't anything special, it was just--"
An excited scream was heard from down the hall. "I AM a Dark Faerie!"
"Yes," Jhudora said to Delina, her voice hardly above a whisper. "All it did was put a purple streak down her hair. Would've done so to any Faerie. But you knew she was attuned with the dark element, I knew it, and deep down, she knew it, too. She just needed some confidence." If someone wants to take an idea similar to that and run with it, please do, I would love to see a twist of that nature get in for the next part.
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Post by Kat on Sept 14, 2023 18:16:20 GMT -5
I'm honestly a bit miffed that someone had the same idea as me and won. I felt like I was on to something only to find out someone had the same idea and their take got in. ...and collapsed to the floor, unconscious.
Delina gasped. "I thought you said it wasn't that intense!"
"You don't see her convulsing or foaming at the mouth, do you?" said Jhudora nonchalantly. She shrugged. "She'll be fine. Her test has only just begun."
After another glance at Anise, out cold on the dull purple stones, Delina knelt beside her, brow creased in worry.
"At least let me carry her to someplace more comfortable."
* * *
Anise was falling.
Everything was dark. Everything was a blur. The last thing she remembered was drinking the potion Jhudora had offered her - the test to determine whether or not she truly was a dark faerie. Then...did that mean this was already the test?
But there was nothing. The lack of sound rang in her ears as she righted herself, suspended in midair. No - she could hear something. A voice.
Her own voice.
Shapes and figures formed out of the darkness. Anise found a younger version of herself, kneeling before the remains of what had been a burgeoning herb garden. She was crying, and Daisy had come up to her, embracing her tightly, patting her back.
A pit formed in her stomach. Next to her, another scene played out - all her family members creating a rainbow of flowers in a garden, growing them precisely in patterns and paths - while Anise sat forlornly to one side, watching them at work, desperately trying to prod a single blade of grass that swayed in the wind - not to her will.
Anise took one step forward, and then another, in the void. She walked past more memories of her failures, her disappointments, her frustrations. Her attempts to fit in. More plants lost to her botched magic spells.
I really didn't fit in, did I? She felt sad, thinking about it, but at the same time, there was an undercurrent of relief. Like she was finally acknowledging this, for the very first time.
Finally, before her loomed two gates. The beech trees that formed the Earth Faerie gate, and the darkness, vines and clouds of the Dark Faerie gate.
The Earth Faerie gate opened first, and Anise gaped at who emerged from it - wearing an emerald dress adorned with flowers, a supple vine sash, and a crown of daisies. It was an earth faerie, one who looked familiar as though she was an old friend, or perhaps part of the family. She bore some resemblance to Daisy -
"You're...you're me," whispered Anise. Standing before her was an older version of herself, a full-fledged earth faerie. Just like Daisy, and the rest of their family. "But...I don't fit in at all with earth faeries. What does this mean?"
"What does it mean?" Anise was surprised to hear her own voice from the other faerie. "Why, it means that it's never too late. Flowers don't always bloom in season, Anise. And sometimes, the flowers that bloom late - bloom the most beautifully of all."
"I...I don't think I'll ever bloom, period," said Anise.
"You don't know that," Other Anise pressed. "If you accept the dark faerie path, you'll never know if you can truly belong with your family or not."
"I already belong with my family. Daisy promised me."
Other Anise grinned - a grin that did not reach her eyes. She leaned more closely. "Do you, really? You'll always be that faerie who ruined the herb garden, the one who can never help with decorating. But with time...one day, you could be better than all of them."
Anise glanced at the dark faerie gate. It stood there, waiting, foreboding and grim. Yet, there was something about that gloom and edge that welcomed her more readily than Other Anise or the earth faerie gate.
"You can only choose one path," said Other Anise. "What will it be?"
Closing her eyes briefly, Anise imagined Delina and Jhudora back at the castle. She imagined Daisy, sincere and understanding but also in many ways, a perfect earth faerie. She imagined the faerie Aisha who had shooed her away from the earth faerie queue back at Fyora's Academy for Faerie Arts.
Then she glanced over her shoulder. All the scenes and memories that had played back were gone, leaving only darkness. The only way out was to take either of the two gates before her.
When Anise opened her eyes, she knew what her answer would be. There was no doubt.
"I choose..." ...and collapsed to the floor, unconscious.
Delina gasped. "I thought you said it wasn't that intense!"
"You don't see her convulsing or foaming at the mouth, do you?" said Jhudora nonchalantly. She shrugged. "She'll be fine. Her test has only just begun."
After another glance at Anise, out cold on the dull purple stones, Delina knelt beside her, brow creased in worry.
"At least let me carry her to someplace more comfortable."
* * *
Anise was falling.
Everything was dark. Everything was a blur. The last thing she remembered was drinking the potion Jhudora had offered her - the test to determine whether or not she truly was a dark faerie. Then...did that mean this was already the test?
But there was nothing. The lack of sound rang in her ears as she righted herself, suspended in midair. No - she could hear something. A voice.
Her own voice.
Shapes and figures formed out of the darkness. Anise found a younger version of herself, kneeling before the remains of what had been a burgeoning herb garden. She was crying, and Daisy had come up to her, embracing her tightly, patting her back.
A pit formed in her stomach. Next to her, another scene played out - all her family members creating a rainbow of flowers in a garden, growing them precisely in patterns and paths - while Anise sat forlornly to one side, watching them at work, desperately trying to prod a single blade of grass that swayed in the wind - not to her will.
Anise took one step forward, and then another, in the void. She walked past more memories of her failures, her disappointments, her frustrations. Her attempts to fit in. More plants lost to her botched magic spells.
I really didn't fit in, did I? She felt sad, thinking about it, but at the same time, there was an undercurrent of relief. Like she was finally acknowledging this, accepting it.
Before her loomed two gates. The beech trees that formed the Earth Faerie gate, and the darkness, vines and clouds of the Dark Faerie gate. The same gates at Fyora's Academy for Faerie Arts.
The Earth Faerie gate opened first, and Anise gaped at who emerged from it - wearing an emerald dress adorned with flowers, a supple vine sash, and a crown of daisies. It was an earth faerie, one who looked familiar as though she was an old friend, or perhaps part of the family. She bore some resemblance to Daisy -
"You're...you're me," whispered Anise. Standing before her was an older version of herself, a full-fledged earth faerie. Just like Daisy, and the rest of their family. "But...I don't fit in at all with earth faeries. What does this mean?"
"What does it mean?" Anise was surprised to hear her own voice from the other faerie. "Why, it means that it's never too late. Flowers don't always bloom in season, Anise. And sometimes, the flowers that bloom late - bloom the most beautifully of all."
"I...I don't think I'll ever bloom, period," said Anise.
"You don't know that," Other Anise pressed. "If you accept the dark faerie path, you'll never know if you can truly belong with your family or not."
"I already belong with my family. Daisy promised me."
Other Anise grinned - a grin that did not reach her eyes. She leaned more closely. "Do you, really? You'll always be that faerie who ruined the herb garden, the one who can never help with decorating. But with time...one day, you could be better than all of them."
Anise glanced at the dark faerie gate. It stood there, waiting, foreboding and grim. Yet, there was something about that gloom and edge that welcomed her more readily than Other Anise or the earth faerie gate, for who she was, disastrous gardening incidents and all.
"You can only choose one path," said Other Anise. "What will it be?"
Closing her eyes briefly, Anise imagined Delina and Jhudora back at the castle. She imagined Daisy, sincere and understanding but also in many ways, a perfect earth faerie. She imagined the faerie Aisha who had shooed her away from the earth faerie queue back at Fyora's Academy for Faerie Arts.
Then she glanced over her shoulder. All the scenes and memories that had played back were gone, leaving only darkness. The only way out was to take either of the two gates before her.
When Anise opened her eyes, she knew what her answer would be. There was no doubt. She set her jaw in resolution and smiled a much wider smile than Other Anise.
"I don't know if I'll ever be the earth faerie I wanted to be," said Anise, "but I know I fit in better with the other dark faeries, who are not afraid to be themselves and who are out of the ordinary. They're extraordinary. They can be kind and sweet, but they can also be into punk, or be goths, or be like Jhudora." She held her head high and faced Other Anise. "I choose the Dark Faerie gate, and the next time I see it in school, I won't be afraid to walk through it!"
She turned away from her other self and flung open the Dark Faerie gate.
* * *
Anise found herself staring up at Delina, who breathed a sigh of relief.
"Oh, thank Fyora you're all right!"
While Anise shifted around on what felt like a perfectly Anise-sized amethyst-colored sofa, Jhudora smirked and shook her head. "I told you, Delina. It wasn't that bad. By the way, that sofa clashes with the shades of purple in my castle so I'll want it out."
As Anise stood up, Jhudora scrutinized her from head to foot.
"So, how are you feeling? Well, you certainly look not dead and not convulsing, for one."
"I feel...actually, I don't feel that much different." Nevertheless, Anise couldn't help but smile. "But I do feel like...being a dark faerie is...is right for me? Maybe I can't grow plants or make flowers bloom, but I'm me, and I can't wait to see what I can do as a dark faerie!"
"That sounds plenty different, but I'm happy for you!" Delina gushed. She couldn't help but hug Anise tightly. "Welcome! Wait till your sister - ah, that reminds me!"
"Yeah, weren't you two supposed to be going back to F.A.F.A. and leaving me in peace again?" Jhudora asked, raising an eyebrow. "So, how about it, Anise? Are you ready to go back to school?" |
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Post by Gelquie on Sept 15, 2023 21:51:08 GMT -5
Tried for an ending, but it didn't get in. That said, I liked how the ending that got in: expanded on the end of the interaction in that room and showed more of the prejudice towards dark faeries, with Jhudora being the biggest example. And it was a cool idea to show her finally doing a spell, since that was indeed part of the crux of her issues. She just didn't know she had to do something else! And yeah, pretty cool way to contribute to family.
Also, A+ for her being able to express her desire for justice in a healthy manner befitting a dark faerie, and Daisy still being accepting. It was really good to see that. Nice and polite is different than good, after all. (And yes, that line is mostly an Into the Woods reference.) I had a bit of a different take with my ending, though there were some similarities in the things Anise brought up. I'll post it here for those curious. Anise parted ways from Jhudora and Delina with newfound confidence. The rest of her day passed with equal parts peace and anticipation. She enjoyed the rest of her classes, learning all the theories and capabilities she never knew she could grasp, and seeing all the classmates who were so different from the norm, and yet so intrigued her.
She couldn’t wait to get to know them better. She might have, were it not for the weight of her determination. She couldn’t fully accept this until she finally resolved everything. But she knew she had to, for it was only that anticipation that kept her from becoming fully absorbed in her new environment.
The final bell rang, and every faerie waved goodbye as they moved to their respective homes, as would be the same for Anise and her sisters. The Faerie Academy couldn't accommodate everyone, after all, and her sisters always stayed at the house during their studies. Stayed while returning with knowledge and excitement of a new spell or idea, that Anise knew she could never bring to fruition...
Anise sighed and made her way to the Academy’s entrance, where Daisy was waiting.
"Anise!" Daisy waved excitedly. "Sorry I didn't find you after. I couldn't skip all of my classes. But more importantly, are you okay?"
Daisy's face was filled with concern. Anise knew it was for the well being of her sister, yet she couldn't help but shake her head.
"Daisy, it's okay, I'm fine," Anise dismissed. "Delina and Jhudora helped me figure things out. And the rest of my classes have been good."
"Good, I'm glad!" Daisy sighed in relief. "Well if you want and you’re comfortable with it, we can wait for the rest of our sisters before we go back, so you can tell us about it. ...Or not if you're not. You'll have plenty of time, at least!"
"I might tell them, but um. About that..." Anise fidgeted with a strap on her backpack. She felt so determined, yet now that she was staring at Daisy's bright smile, facing all she was about to say, it was suddenly difficult to get the words out of her mouth.
"Huh? What is it, Anise?" Daisy reached out with concern. "It's okay, you can tell me. We're sisters. And we always look out for each other and do our best. That's what we do."
The words hung. And Anise could feel the kindness behind it. And yet she also felt her determination--and that dark pit of longing that resided within her--rise again.
"...About that. I'm going to apply to live on Academy grounds, and see if I can get a dorm with other Dark Faeries."
Daisy blinked, her mouth open. Daisy resisted a sigh. She knew she wouldn't take this well.
"Anise... You're still our sister, you know? That house is our home, and it's yours too."
"Of course you're still my sister," Anise assured. "And you always will be. But it's not my home. Not really. We always lived there, never really grew elsewhere. Even our older sisters haven't moved on."
"And our house is bigger and better and healthier for it," Daisy smiled. "Because our family all takes care of it and each other."
"And that's good..." Anise started. "For an Earth Faerie. One who doesn't mind the dynamic. But I'm not an Earth Faerie. And that dynamic, for me... I never knew anything else, except for failure. I thought I was either a bad Earth Faerie or without magic at all. I didn't know I could be anything else. I didn’t even know that being anything else was not disappointing. Now that I know what I am, being a Dark Faerie, and among other Dark Faeries, is so calming, understanding, and freeing. I never thought I could have any potential, never felt like I could belong... Until today. Now that I know that… I can’t stay at the house."
Daisy was silent, and Anise could see the tears in her eyes. For all of her confidence, which remained resolute, a feeling of guilt resided within her, one she did her best to swallow.
"...No, you're right," Daisy said. "Our home is good for Earth Faeries. I still think we could find a space for you. But if you want to feel more at home as a Dark Faerie, I... We can't help you. You need to grow, and you can't grow here. You need a better environment, and space and time to grow. So you can be happier." Daisy looked up, tears running down her face now. "That's all I wanted for you. I don't care what you are or aren't. As long as you're happy."
Anise reached out a hand and placed it on Daisy's shoulder. "I think I will be."
"Then that's all that matters. Just..." Daisy threw her arms around Anise and sobbed. "Just visit! Don't forget us!!"
Anise felt her own eyes spring with tears, yet hers came with a cathartic laugh as she returned the hug. "Of course! You're still my sister and I love you!"
"I love you!!" Daisy bawled. They didn’t let go of each other for a long time.
When Daisy and Anise explained the situation to their family, the reception was more mixed. It was a tight-knit family, and the thought of one setting out on their own entirely was nearly unheard of. Yet between Anise and Daisy, they were able to at least persuade their family members to at least give it a chance, and that it could be better for her.
It was another week before Anise finally heard back about lodging on Faerie Academy grounds. It turned out that the Dark Faerie dormitories had some open spots, for her and other new Dark Faeries eager to break free from their old moulds. It was in part thanks to Delina, who vouched for Anise and several other Dark Faeries, as part of her ongoing mission to ensure that lost Dark Faeries students can always find a place to land.
After her sisters helped her get situated, Anise stood alone in her new dorm room, taking in the interior with dark purple walls and soft pink flooring, as well as some of her own additions: her seating with a purple and green cushion, her maroon blanket on her bed, and of course, the lavender-colored curtains. She gently touched the curtains to enjoy the lavender smell that had been infused into them, and she felt that she had never felt more relaxed in a bedroom as she did here.
There were so many other Dark Faeries to get to know, so much about being a Dark Faerie to explore, and so much potential in her future.
And for the first time, Anise couldn't wait for any of it. |
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Post by RielCZ on Sept 28, 2023 1:38:51 GMT -5
Late, but about last story's ending, I also really liked that Anise got to show off her magic in a very clever way that helped her Earth Faerie sister. Also, I enjoyed the characterization of Jhudora throughout the story. I liked your ending as well Gelquie , though it was a little darker in tone /BRICK'D more bittersweet. Anyway, regarding this present story -- I love time travel.  It is probably my favourite trope/plotline. (Except in the 2nd live action Alice in Wonderland movie, but we don't talk about that.) So, for this story, I mostly just wanted to wait until things were tangled and then try to help untangle them. Here was my attempts at the previous two slots: ...A feeling of dread washed over Dusty. "But... how?" he gawked. "How can I be followed through time when that criminal only has the forward-facing pendant and I have the pendant for going back--"
"Oh thank the Wizard you discovered the that you still have one of the two of them," Spencer breathed in his frenetic stilted verbiage. "For one of them is better than none of them."
"Heh, actually, I do need to thank the Shop Wizard," Dusty replied with a wan smile. "I found out through him."
"Good for you and good for us that you found out," said Spencer with an odd air of sagaciousness. "Good and fortunately for us, the progression of time is such that time marches forward. Provided your grandfather's and thus your family's enemy has travelled forward in time, it will be impossible for him to return to this time and steal now what you found. In fact, provided he has not travelled beyond your lifespan, we can only wait. In fact, I'm sure your enemy is waiting under the cover of future shadows, waiting for time to progress such that you are lined up with him when it is advantageous for him. And then he will strike." The red Draik balled one of his paws into a fist.
Dusty just blinked as he tried to process this influx of information.
Spencer grinned. "Anyway, my brother, it is so nice to finally make your acquaintance!" The small Draik went up and hugged the dumbfounded Shoyru. "If only we were doing so under much less dire circumstances. But sometimes we don't get the circumstances that we want or deserve."
"So, where do you think our enemy will be going to?" the Shoyru inquired.
"Not just where, but also when," conjectured Spencer as he put a claw to his chin. "From the legends from my grandfather, your family's enemy is a very powerful sorcerer -- a Neopet who would put even the Shop Wizard to shame. Your enemy will study the time magic in these artefacts to try and absorb them into his own magic, which he can only do once he has both. He has most certainly been around since the time of our grandfathers. Having stolen the future-facing pendant one night when your grandfather was not expecting him, he travelled forward until the magic in our grandfathers had long since dissipated, a magic that through generations of muggle-mixing has been weakened in you and I; being among the 'last magic generation' prompted your grandfather to craft these artefacts to begin with. But I, trained in combat, found and caught your enemy when he least expected it and stole the future-facing pendant back. I travelled forward a few years, to a time I thought your enemy wouldn't think to look, and sent you the package." He buried his paws in his face once more. "But, again, I made grave and unforgivable mistakes."
Dusty stepped over to his apparent ally and gave him a hug. "No, it's OK. We'll get it back and defeat our enemy once and for all, I'm sure of it." The cogs in Dusty's mind whirred like it was having trouble loading a customization. "Wait, I think I know how we can defeat my family's enemy... or at least know where he will be so we can plan accordingly."
Spencer's eyes lit up. "What have you discerned my friend, my brother?"
The Shoyru grinned as his eyes glistened. "Our enemy won't travel too far into the future. No, he won't give us the time to regroup. So, we wait at the Shop Wizard. But every few minutes, we ask him -- and probably pay him, because it might take a while -- to run the search as to how many pendants there are in the Marketplace, and where. As soon as he discerns there are two, we'll know when and where our enemy has travelled. Then, we use the past-facing pendant," he raised it, "and, equipped with the knowledge of where and when our enemy will show up, we can go back in time to a point that gives us the time to adequately prepare for his arrival and subsequently ambush and defeat him..." ..."Where's here?" Dusty asked as he mentally struggled to take in his surroundings.
"Not where, but when," started Spencer as he raised a claw to his chin expectantly. "You see, my friend and dear brother, I have activated your pendant and used it to take us back in time to the time of just over two weeks ago," the small red Draik elaborated in his frenetic stilted verbiage.
Dusty gingerly peaked out from behind the stall. "B-but the Upenders--"
"Not here, not yet," Spencer said. "I was merely trying to gauge your response time post time travelling, especially when under duress and danger." He clicked his tongue and shook his head. "Not exceptional, my friend, needs work, indubitably."
And then the small Draik grinned. "Anyway, my brother, now that we are in relative safety, it is so nice to finally make your acquaintance!" Spencer waddled up and hugged the still dumbfounded Shoyru. "If only we were doing so under much more profitable circumstances. But sometimes we don't get the circumstances that we want or deserve."
Dusty shrugged and hugged him back, but the Shoyru maintained a firm demeanour. "So tell me, why did you take me back two weeks to here, who are the Upenders, and who are you exactly? What are you trying to accomplish?"
Spencer grinned. "The first question is an easy one, and I will circle back to it later."
Dusty harrumphed in response.
"And about the Upenders," Spencer continued, "I already made mention to you that they want to use time-hopping magic... to revolt against a magical Neopia. Indeed, they desire to recreate a Neopia where magic never proliferated, where it does not exist. Think, dust man! No magic, no Faeries, no Shop Wizard. Seeking to use magic to destroy magic... terribly misguided."
Dusty thought back to how the Shop Wizard had helped him -- and also thought that he wasn't sure he liked being called "Dust Man". "Why would they want that?" he inquired.
"I am not entirely sure," Spencer replied, shaking his big head that seemed out of place on his small frame. "But, according to my Grandpa Frank, the leader of the Upenders is a powerful sorcerer named Ataxerxes -- who just so happens to be a relative of the Shop Wizard. I have not heard told much about Ataxerxes, but he was a sworn rival to Grandpa Frank and your Grandpa Yu. Something must have happened to Ataxerxes that he swore he would swear off magic."
The Shoyru nodded as he absorbed this information.
"Yet, one fateful night," the Draik continued, "when your grandfather was not expecting him, Ataxerxes stole the future-facing pendant, and of course used it to travel forward in time. Grandpa Frank told me that your Grandpa Yu managed to magically read the signature of the energy dissipation within the cosmic background radiation of the universe, and determined that Ataxerxes would arrive two generations into the future -- likely, and indeed truly, after the passing of Frank and Yu." He shook his head. "It is too bad that you were too young when your Grandpa passed to be aware of the situation, and that your father wanted nothing to do with The Magic."
A feeling of dread washed over Dusty. "I... think I saw that night, when the pendant was stolen."
The Draik gaped at the Shoyru's words. "Then the legends are true... But to answer your inquiry as to who am I?" The Draik grinned. "Since I was but a toddler, I was trained by my Grandpa Frank in the art of fine magic combat. Indubitably, I have been preparing for this moment for years... and I knew, deep down, when that day was to come... the day of Grandpa Frank's funeral." He sniffed away a tear. "But they were not prepared that I knew. I ambushed the Upenders while transporting the future-facing pendant, and stole it back! Bidding farewell to my world, I travelled forward a decade or so, to a time I thought the Upenders wouldn't think to look, and sent you the package." He buried his paws in his face. "But, again, I made grave and unforgivable mistakes. They waited for me, and for you, until the time was right for them to take it. They knew."
The Shoyru frowned. So that was why Spencer was comparatively small in stature... he must have been in his early teens, if that. Dusty stepped over to his apparent ally and gave him a hug this time. "No, it's OK. We'll get it back and defeat our enemy once and for all, I'm sure of it."
Spencer hugged back and wiped another tear from his eye. "Finally, to answer where we are." He grinned slowly and somewhat mischievously. "I know you wanted to visit the Marketplace's End of Summer Block Party. But you were too busy working. Working in that dusty tomb of a shop of yours. So I have taken us here and here we are!" He thrust his paws into the air excitedly. "Though, frankly, you and I needed to go back in time to some point before the Upenders came to ransack your shop. Now, armed with the knowledge of the time and place of their arrival, we can adequately prepare for their arrival and subsequently ambush and defeat Ataxerxes once and for all."
"And how will I do that?" Dusty asked, his voice hardly above a whisper.
"In you," affirmed Spencer, "is our greatest asset. Those memories that aren't yours but you now possess. You must hone and understand them, and then you will, truly, be as powerful as Ataxerxes..." The Zylphia part originally threw me, but I put in another entry for tomorrow's slot that I think cleverly (if somewhat predictably) brings the story in a circle and readies things for a conclusion, only lightly borrowing from my previous submission. Problem is... it's a bit lengthy heh. So, I submitted the full version and a version that cuts out the final scene. Anyway, because I had to, here is a brief excerpt from the long version: He had to convince his Grandpa it was him, but how? What words could he say?
Wait... what had Grandpa Yu said? "Remember my words, remember your magic, and, most of all, remember..."
"Remember the number 69, dudes!" Dusty exclaimed at the door. EDIT: Didn't place. Here was my entry in its entirety. ...a pair of miscreants breaking into a nearby shoppe!
"They are the members of the Upenders!" Spencer shouted with a voice hardly above a whisper. "We are truly in no position to deal with them now, truly." He turned on his heel. "Maybe soon, Dust Man, but not now," he added before he started to fly off in the other direction.
But something kept Dusty rooted in his spot behind the stall. Indeed, something tugged at Dusty's memory. Like Spencer had said of Zylphia, these Upenders, right now, were a mess that he, Dusty, had to clean up -- the Shoyru was sure of it.
Dusty pulled back Spencer by his wing, much to the Draik's consternation. "You have to distract them. Do whatever you can to keep them from getting inside that shop."
Spencer started to protest, but Dusty cast him a glance that made Spencer obey. "OK... my friend, my brother, if the legends are true, if you feel this is what you need to do, I will support you." He clicked his tongue. "After all, it was you who brought us here."
Dusty glared at him and tilted his head to one side. "But you--"
"I merely was the one who activated the past-facing pendant," the small red Draik started in his frenetic stilted verbiage, "though it was a skill that you showed me how to do, long ago. Not the you of long ago, but the you in the future from this point in the now. You of now, however, by your innate magic, and whatever memories of the past and future that are sharing the space in your brain -- yes, you were the one who ultimately chose our destination... and here we are."
The Shoyru's frown deepened. He wasn't sure if Spencer was referring to "You" or "Yu" but he decided it didn't matter. Not at this moment.
"I will engage with the Upenders," Spencer concluded with a salute. "Once they are distracted, you go help the shopkeeper."
For some reason, Dusty felt the need to hug the Draik in response, and he did so. "Thanks you for being my ally."
"Of course my friend." Spencer smiled and flew off. The Upenders were banging on the door and smashing windows, but then Spencer flew up to them and made a cacophanous howl. The Upenders ran, and Spencer flew after them in chase, as a small battle waged between them. It was obvious Spencer had some training in magical combat.
Soon, they were nowhere to be seen. And then Dusty left the shadows and walked up to what he knew to be The Creaking House to help his Grandpa.
***
Suddenly, a flurry of powerful knocks echoed from The Creaking House's old wooden door.
"Fiddlesticks!" Grandpa Yu hissed, seizing the pendants in his paws and wincing as the still-hot metal burned his fur. "They've found me!"
The knocks turned into bangs, threatening to fling the door off its hinges. The display windows shattered, sending glass flying throughout the workshop. Grandpa Yu turned on his heels and began running up the stairs that led to the living quarters.
"Be careful with whom you trust!" Grandpa Yu shouted, his voice distant in the commotion. "Remember my words, remember your magic, and, most of all, remember--"
His words were punctured by Spencer's bloodcurdling howl.
He looked out the window and saw a menacing albeit rather small Draik. And then the red flash was gone, and there was... nothing. Just as quickly as the intensity of the situation had ramped up, it had now faded away. But before Yu was able to sufficiently calm down and continue his message to his future descendant, there came another knock at the door.
Yu stayed silent.
"Yu, I know it's you!" Dusty shouted. "I'm your grandson... I'm from the future and I need your help."
Still no response. Yu knew that the Upenders played all sorts of nasty tricks, and trying to fool him using some fake grandson seemed to be the nastiest one yet.
Dusty didn't just want to force himself inside... he remembered the various traps throughout the Creaking House, and that his Grandpa -- though past his prime, even at this time -- was a powerful magician. Who knows what could happen to Dusty if he just barged in? He had to convince his Grandpa it was him, but how? What words could he say?
Wait... what had Grandpa Yu said? "Remember my words, remember your magic, and, most of all, remember..."
"Remember the number 69, dudes!" Dusty exclaimed at the door. He wasn't sure where that had come from, but--
But before he had the time to think, the door flung open and Dusty was pulled inside with a hug.
***
The two sat on some of the old (but less old than Dusty remembered them) chairs in the back room, chatting like old friends. Sure, there were still years between them, but Grandpa Yu was more coherent and courageous than Dusty ever remembered him being. They shared stories and experiences within the history between them. Alas, it was all too brief... despite having an effective time machine, they both knew that time was still of the essence. Dusty would not be able to keep the Upenders occupied indefinitely.
Grandpa Yu reached up behind the false wall in the closet and retrieved the artefacts. "I designed these artefacts so that even a Neopet with a minimal amount of magic could use them to travel in time and correct history, as it were. I designed them for a descendant of mine... not to fall into the hands of enemies."
"Regarding the Upenders," Grandpa Yu continued, "the extent of their ability to time travel and cause chaos is currently limited to their own innate time-magical prowess... and admittedly," Grandpa Yu said with self-satisfaction, "even the magic of Artaxeres, their leader who probably has your missing pendant, far pales in comparison to my own. To wreak the chaos and reshape the world as they desire, they needed some extra magitech to facilitate their time travelling... and these pendants could be that source for them, once they discovered I was making them. Though, if they only have the future-facing pendant, as you say, there is still hope... they still can't easily travel back to muck about the past."
Grandpa Yu put a hand on Dusty's shoulder, and gave him the future-facing pendant he had just made. "Take it and use it to get back the future-facing pendant from your timeline. You are smart, you have memories, I know you can feel where you need to go. Then, after you get the pendant back, do what you need to do and travel where you need to travel so to ensure your ally gets this here future-facing pendant at just the right time." He smiled. "Nice choice in the Draik, he seems like an effective partner. He looks a real spot like the famous martial artist in town. Might be his Grandpappy I suppose."
"I didn't choose him..." Dusty trailed contemplatively. "He showed up in my life."
"Then time chose an effective partner for you."
Dusty smiled back at his Grandpa. Then, Grandpa Yu gave him the past-facing pendant as well. "I know you already have it, but... I can see you. You are of my brood, and I know your heart. You and that Spencer will become great Time Warriors one day soon, and aid Zylphia to preserve the timeline. So, take it -- it is safer with you. Put it where you found it, right before you found it."
Dusty accepted the pendants, a tear in his eye, and hugged his Grandpa. "I promise I'll be the best Time Warrior I can be. I'll make you proud, Grandpa Yu!"
"I know you will." Grandpa Yu released the hug. "Time travel should always be used sparingly... but maybe I'll see you again someday. But for now... go. Find your friend, play 'Where in Time is Artaxeres?', defeat him and retrieve your future-facing pendant, and correct the Timeline..." Gonna be a bit salty, but at this point, I'm not sure anything can actually tie all the time travel elements coherently together in this story anymore... Maybe I'll still shoehorn what I wrote into an ending. EDITx2: I managed to shoehorn in my previous entry and constructed the rest of the ending on top of it (it ended up being 2.3k words heh). At face value, I'm not upset it didn't place. However, I am upset that it lost to someone who already won twice this contest, i.e. being passed over so someone else could win 3x in this contest. Anyway, here was the remainder of my ending: ***
Using the future-facing pendant of the past that he received from Grandpa Yu, Dusty travelled forward in time to the date in which Grandpa Yu stopped babysitting him, and from there discovered and subsequently travelled to the date of Grandpa Yu's funeral. Dusty was too young at the time to be present... and though some part still clung with hope that maybe he had just gone to some old folks home somewhere, well, he knew from the point his Grandpa stopped babysitting him that his Grandpa had passed. It was emotional, and he grieved... he finally grieved the passing of his Grandpa Yu. His Dad would take over the shop, and quickly fall out of interest with it (thereby preventing him from ever finding the pendants), and The Creaking House would go to Dusty -- nicknamed so because he loved the curios.
And, at the funeral, Spencer was there to comfort Dusty. Indeed, the Draik claimed he knew that Dusty would go there eventually, and so it seemed natural to travel there -- using the future-facing pendant he had stolen back from the Upenders -- and wait for Dusty.
Led by Spencer, the pair travelled to the date of Spencer's Grandfather's funeral -- where the Draik said he had first met Dusty. After the elder Spencer consoled the Spencer of the past -- and backed by the elder Spencer's statement that that Dusty was his friend to whom he should trust and stay loyal -- Dusty taught Spencer of the past how to use the pendant. "Be strong, the first time is always the most difficult," Spencer of the future added.
Then that Spencer shared with Dusty and his past self information on Zylphia and a few (somewhat vague) tales about the Upenders and how he got the pendant back from them, thus transferring the highly important knowledge to himself. Finally, the elder Draik instructed the younger to hold onto the future-facing pendant (and/or to recapture it should it fall into the wrong hands), and to place it in a box wrapped with brown paper and subsequently give it to a local starry Grundo to give to The Creaking House, on a specific date with a specific letter written on thick card paper; he was to trust the elder Spencer that the delivery would be "safe for Dusty and his late grandfather's artefact" and would certainly not turn out to be a "grave and unforgivable mistake", despite already knowing otherwise.
Finally, they used the future-facing pendant Spencer had stolen back from the Upenders to travel to the day the original package from Spencer arrived. While Dusty of that present went out to visit the Shop Wizard, Dusty of the future placed the past-facing pendant of the past that he received from Grandpa Yu into one of The Creaking House's dusty boxes, and tucked the box safely behind the false shelf of the closet, ready to be found later that evening.
Sure, time travelling to that specific time and place might have caused the Upenders stationed in that time, by their magic, to know their whereabouts of the pendant and break in to steal it... but Spencer and Dusty knew how the story played out.
***
"Really... the two of you want to be Time Travel Warriors?" Zylphia asked with an incredulously raised eyebrow, trying to suppress a yawn, as she looked at the overexcited kids in front of her. Well, young adults... but to her, they were just kids. Given all her travels, she must have been nearly as old as Fyora! "You wanna, according to your co-résumé, help me 'correct the timeline, undo the Upenders, thwart Ataxerxes's evil merchant empire, and restore balance to Neopia'?"
"Yes," Dusty said matter-of-factly. "I run a curio shop and come from a long line of Shoyrus with time magic. And being a Time Travel Warrior is my destiny."
"And I've been with Dusty and loyal to him for longer than he remembers," stated Spencer before he pulled out the pendants. "I helped him get back these beauties -- able to travel through time at will. At will, truly!"
"Oooh..." Zylphia's eyes shimmered at the pendants. "Alright boys. Word is that the Upenders are planning something big, and the future of Neopia is in great danger." She smirked. "Let's see what you got."
THE END Which, IMO, makes all the time travel make sense, but I digress. IDK if Adler legitimately does not know the rules or is intentionally disregarding the former regulars (between this and Kat last contest), but admittedly it's discouraging either way. |
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Post by Kat on Oct 10, 2023 17:56:56 GMT -5
I FINALLY CRACKED THE STORYTELLING CONTEST and got a Meowclops for my troubles hee hee cute kitty soft kitty one-eyed kitty
90x Storytelling champion FINALLY it really did feel like I and most other experienced regulars were at a disadvantage the past few STCs.
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Post by RielCZ on Oct 16, 2023 14:56:51 GMT -5
Congrats to all the winners last week, especially Kat! I wrote and submitted my ending after the penultimate slot went up but before the news announced the extension through the weekend. Still, probably took me 25 minutes and it was something of a personal challenge to not care whether it won or lost. Code for it's not the best written piece but I'll take the inflated PetPet I won. |
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It is probably my favourite trope/plotline. (Except in the 2nd live action Alice in Wonderland movie, but we don't talk about that.) So, for this story, I mostly just wanted to wait until things were tangled and then try to help untangle them.