Just Prompts: Fairy Tales (9/26 -- 10/9)

[clockwork_doc]

What’s your favorite Fairy Tale? Why?

Anyone who knows me knows I take a very dim view of faeries and the like these days. They’re NOT how they’re portrayed in most of these stories. If a Fae takes a liking to you, what you want to do is run. Not that it’ll help. . . .

Of course, given that I’m stuck in an alternate reality, perhaps I’m being unfair. Anyone want to give me examples of more pleasant, Disney-like Fae?

(And if you must know, as a child I was fond of “Sleeping Beauty.” I always wondered if someone could really sleep a hundred years without aging. Makes me wonder now if some Fae tried it)

Comments

[clockwork-doc.livejournal.com]

For the most part, yeah. Wonder what that says

It was scary growing up for me too, but for different reasons. My father -- well, I generally call him Elias now, so make of that what you will.

I actually do know how to cook some meals. I just -- when you're busy with something, food is often not a priority.

[metody-green.livejournal.com]

Oh, dear. Its sad when things turn out like that.

That's the virtue of cooking in bulk. That's what I've done - you sit down on the weekend and you make a great big batch of something, say, spaghetti and marinara. Freeze it in individual portions. Then, when you're ready to eat, you customize it so you're not eating the same thing over and over. A little bit of sausage, some chopped olives, basil, things like that. Food is customizable.

[clockwork-doc.livejournal.com]

I know. I had good times with him, don't get me wrong, but -- when I hit my teen years, our interests diverged dramatically. Not fun.

Ahh, yes. I always meant to do that, but I never thought of it in time. I was so used to cooking for just myself, it rarely occurred to me to make more than just what I needed for the day. Emily (my sister) occasionally did that for me. She was one heck of a cook.

[metody-green.livejournal.com]

I mostly puzzle my parents, I think. Everyone else turned out pretty normal and went into sort of helping fields - teaching, nursing, one cop, construction, things like that, and very outgoing. I emerged shy and kind of socially awkward, and went straight for science. Or Science! (someday)

[clockwork-doc.livejournal.com]

I definitely puzzled mine. They had one extremely normal daughter, and me. And I too went straight for Science! After I read Jules Verne, anwyay. Mom was all right with that, but Elias. . . . Well, he hated scientists, so we clashed horribly until --

Honestly, I don't think he was entirely sane
He threatened

I ended up leaving the house at 17. Elias disowned me, but my sister transferred what she felt my share of the inheritence should have been to me upon their deaths.

[metody-green.livejournal.com]

Good lord. I can't imagine rejecting a friend like that - let alone someone as important as a son.

I'm glad your sister was so nice.

[clockwork-doc.livejournal.com]

That was Elias for you.

Yeah, me too. Emily's great. I really miss her here.

[metody-green.livejournal.com]

I wish I could show my family this place. But I don't think they'd understand, and I think they'd be afraid of me after.

[clockwork-doc.livejournal.com]

That's too bad. I'm sorry.

[metody-green.livejournal.com]

There are worse things to bear. :D I shouldn't complain. Besides - at least I am here. I'm much happier now that I've found this place!

[clockwork-doc.livejournal.com]

Very true. And yeah, finding the Nexus was good for me too. It's nice to have someplace to go when Chicago gets too crazy.

[metody-green.livejournal.com]

I have to admit, your version of Chicago sounds spectacularly strange to me.

[clockwork-doc.livejournal.com]

It is. We've got angels and demons and all sorts of supernatural people. Though it's technically not my Chicago -- I fell through a Rift in time and space into it. Yes, we have those too.

[metody-green.livejournal.com]

Interesting. I've got this theory that the Nexus is where various universes are linked, and it attatches usually at Earth, USA, 2008 - that's when and where quite a few people are. I wonder if you've got the Chicago version of the join. I haven't seen so many angels and demons in the Nexus.

Or I could be full of it.

[clockwork-doc.livejournal.com]

I don't know. The angels and demons seem to be natural to this world -- they're human subspecies, change when they're 16. It could explain the Rift, maybe. People from all sorts of different universes fall through it into Chicago (and other places in this world, possibly. I don't know.) I wouldn't be surprised if a significant number of the population in this city now is displaced wanderers.

[metody-green.livejournal.com]

Oh, that's pretty different from the Nexus - here, people seem to wander in and out, though a fair number are actually trapped. I've met a few natives, but they seem to be an eclectic mix of human and other creatures.

How does the city's infrastructure handle so many lost people?

[clockwork-doc.livejournal.com]

I noticed that. I was glad not to be stuck somewhere else. Though I feel for those who are.

I honestly don't really know. There's this one hotel, the Conrad, that's run by angels and takes in Wanderers. There's a secret basement that contains rooms and houses almost everyone. There's also the Main Gauche, which is a similar complex run by demons. Don't ask me where they get the money -- I know the Conrad takes in regular guests, but the Gauche is foreign to me.

[metody-green.livejournal.com]

Ah - are you hidden from the general population of the city, then?

Demons sound terrifying.

[clockwork-doc.livejournal.com]

Pretty much so. I think there's a general consensus there would be some sort of panic if people knew about us.

From what I've heard, it depends on the demon. Some of them have actually done nice things, like help cure a plague. On the flip side, some angels act like complete bastards. It's all very complicated.

[metody-green.livejournal.com]

A stream of otherworldly people? I can see how that'd cause a panic. I keep quiet about what I can do for similar reasons.

So it isn't as if they're purely good or purely evil?

[clockwork-doc.livejournal.com]

Exactly. Especially given the Rift changes all of us on the way through. That's how I got my weather powers.

Not really. From what I hear, angels are driven to do good and demons to do evil, but they're still just people. Demons can help people, angels can hurt people. It's really just one big complicated mess.

[metody-green.livejournal.com]

Ah, you mentioned that once.

That sounds rather difficult to deal with, given the normal expectation that the angels would do good. Do they have powers as well?

[clockwork-doc.livejournal.com]

It is, it is. Especially since one of the angels wasn't exactly fond of Wanderers. She's gone now, and the current infastructure seems more friendly, but still. . . .

Yes, they have powers -- wings and greater strength and speed are the common ones to angels and demons. After that it depends on what kind of angel or demon they are. There's quite the range.

[metody-green.livejournal.com]

Goodness.

I had no idea that there was a variety to them. I never paid much attention to the more organized big-God religions.

[clockwork-doc.livejournal.com]

Me either. Learning about these kind was a bit of a shock. Though apparently they're not the kind to serve any God or Devil. Like I said, human subspecies. (Makes your head hurt after a while, doesn't it?)