Promise is on her way from the library, where she has been allowed the privilege of an hour's study of sorcery - directed in topic, but she was allowed to take (relevant) notes, and read (relevant) books, and was only lightly supervised.
Thorn sometimes likes to butter her up, such as it is, before calling her to his room. She thinks he's running elaborate multivariable experiments on what puts her in a marginally more or less cooperative mood. The obvious confounding factor is that after having been buttered up she has to walk to his room. Also, on this particular occasion, she was not allowed to heal herself of her (relatively minor, but still painful) injuries before she went to the library. She did her research with shredded wing-edges and a black eye and an almost decorative crosshatch of bright red cuts down the backs of her legs. This is Thorn, so it wasn't thoughtlessness, but she hasn't speculated much on what it is instead, besides - Thorn.
She walks carefully -
There's a ripple in the air. She walks right into it.
And then she is elsewhere. She can no longer make meaningful progress towards her appointment, so she stops walking. Her eyes flick left, right -
Well. It would be hard for this to be worse.
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Alisyrrabel | Promise
imeanforever
She's definitely no longer inside. The time of day hasn't changed noticeably, at least; it's a bit later in the afternoon, but not by much. There's grass growing patchily on the ground around her, hemmed in by a worn grey wooden fence delimiting a large rectangular area, and there's an equally worn wooden shed in one corner. Behind her is a reasonably sized house, more functional than attractive, with the door propped open.
And to her sides are children.
On her right, two boys and a girl are kicking a yellow and black ball around without any discernible purpose (except giggling and shrieking). To her left, a sullen older boy is sitting, focused intently on his book.
The girl is the first to notice her. She bounces over excitedly, abandoning her game. "Oh my gosh oh my gosh are you a fairy? Hi fairy lady!"
"Anne, fairies don't-" the reading boy starts, raising his head. His expression changes from exasperated to shocked when he spots the new arrival. "Aah!"
And to her sides are children.
On her right, two boys and a girl are kicking a yellow and black ball around without any discernible purpose (except giggling and shrieking). To her left, a sullen older boy is sitting, focused intently on his book.
The girl is the first to notice her. She bounces over excitedly, abandoning her game. "Oh my gosh oh my gosh are you a fairy? Hi fairy lady!"
"Anne, fairies don't-" the reading boy starts, raising his head. His expression changes from exasperated to shocked when he spots the new arrival. "Aah!"
Alisyrrabel | Promise
imeanforever
Mortals. One of whom she now has the name of. Not that she can do anything with it. She's not permitted to speak. Mortal children. Her instructions if she encounters any mortal say that she's supposed to bring them to a trusted member of the court - that she may suspend a fair number of her less important orders in order to accomplish this, even - but she cannot bring them to the court, so no orders are relaxed, and, perhaps more importantly, these children will not spend the rest of their lives as property of Thorn.
"Fairy lady?" Anne asks again, not particularly deterred by her silence.
The other two boys walk over to join her. They refuse to admit to excitement, but they don't mind acting curious. "Can you fly?" the youngest boy demands. "I wanna fly!"
The other two boys walk over to join her. They refuse to admit to excitement, but they don't mind acting curious. "Can you fly?" the youngest boy demands. "I wanna fly!"
Alisyrrabel | Promise
imeanforever
Well, she's allowed to twitch her wings. This is ostensibly for balance, but since tripping takes less time than consciously evaluating whether she needs a particular small wing-twitch, she isn't restricted on when she can do that and that alone. Maybe these children will pass her along to someone with the wit to assign simple meanings to various numbers of flutters. For now: twitch.
The youngest boy jumps up and down. "She moved her wings! She did! I bet she can fly!"
The oldest boy puts down his book reluctantly and comes to join his siblings. He walks around Promise, muttering thoughtfully to himself. "They don't look strong enough to fly with," he says doubtfully. "But she also shouldn't exist."
"But she does," Anne points out smugly. "I told you fairies exist." She smiles brightly at the fairy. "Do you need anything, fairy lady? I can get you food!"
The oldest boy puts down his book reluctantly and comes to join his siblings. He walks around Promise, muttering thoughtfully to himself. "They don't look strong enough to fly with," he says doubtfully. "But she also shouldn't exist."
"But she does," Anne points out smugly. "I told you fairies exist." She smiles brightly at the fairy. "Do you need anything, fairy lady? I can get you food!"
Alisyrrabel | Promise
imeanforever
It would be safe to take food from Anne. (For a value of "safe" that means "Anne would not become able to release Promise from her orders" - which is a consideration very much operative in Thorn's instructions.) Promise is allowed to, honestly, nod or shake her head in response to direct questions by court members; since Anne is her vassal, she loosely qualifies as a court member. It's a stretch. But Promise nods once, jerkily (yes, she does need something; it's not food, but that wasn't technically part of the question). Her hair slides over and away from her blacked eye.
Anne yelps. "You need a band-aid!"
"You don't use a band-aid for black eyes," the oldest says. "Don't you know anything? You need ice!"
"She needs help," Anne says, annoyed. "I'm trying, not just... just... being a knowitall!" She pats the fairy tentatively on the shoulder. "I can get food and ice."
One of her brothers has moved enough to catch sigh of the fairy's back. "Band-aids too," he says, sounding horrified. "Guys, look at her legs."
"I'm going, I'm going!" Anne darts into the house. She considers running straight to Jenny, but decides against it- what if Jenny told her parents? Adults don't understand about fairies. So she goes around the back bathroom where Jenny's doing laundry and comes back with a couple of pieces of bread, an ice pack and some bandages.
(Everyone related to or passingly familiar with Patrick knows where all first aid items in the Marino house are. Everyone.)
"Here, fairy lady," she says anxiously. "Do you want help with your legs? We can help."
Michael rolls his eyes. This means he will help, in all likelihood.
"You don't use a band-aid for black eyes," the oldest says. "Don't you know anything? You need ice!"
"She needs help," Anne says, annoyed. "I'm trying, not just... just... being a knowitall!" She pats the fairy tentatively on the shoulder. "I can get food and ice."
One of her brothers has moved enough to catch sigh of the fairy's back. "Band-aids too," he says, sounding horrified. "Guys, look at her legs."
"I'm going, I'm going!" Anne darts into the house. She considers running straight to Jenny, but decides against it- what if Jenny told her parents? Adults don't understand about fairies. So she goes around the back bathroom where Jenny's doing laundry and comes back with a couple of pieces of bread, an ice pack and some bandages.
(Everyone related to or passingly familiar with Patrick knows where all first aid items in the Marino house are. Everyone.)
"Here, fairy lady," she says anxiously. "Do you want help with your legs? We can help."
Michael rolls his eyes. This means he will help, in all likelihood.
Alisyrrabel | Promise
imeanforever
Nod. She does want help with her legs. This is the mortal world, so she can't heal herself and everything wrong with her is going to have to recover the long way.
Michael sighs and holds out his hand. Anne deposits the first aid supplies in his hand, gives him a quick hug and a "thank yoooou," and then offers the bread to the fairy. "Look, fairy lady, I brought food!"
Michael, meanwhile, winces at the sight of her legs and decides to start with the antibiotic cream. "I'm gonna put Neosporin on this, okay? Don't freak out?" She nodded at the questions earlier, she probably speaks English. He starts to bandage up her legs. Who would do this? Michael bandages, thinking dark thoughts at the nameless leg-slicing villain.
Michael, meanwhile, winces at the sight of her legs and decides to start with the antibiotic cream. "I'm gonna put Neosporin on this, okay? Don't freak out?" She nodded at the questions earlier, she probably speaks English. He starts to bandage up her legs. Who would do this? Michael bandages, thinking dark thoughts at the nameless leg-slicing villain.
Alisyrrabel | Promise
imeanforever
She can't nod at the questions from the children she doesn't have names for. (She can assume Anne knows their names, but they're all mortals so that doesn't mean anything.) But she doesn't flinch when the Neosporin is applied, nor the bandages.
The food prep fairy has been on a kick of mealtime protocol. Promise is not allowed to eat with her hands. However, no one's allowed to interfere with Thorn's hand-feeding kink; so she is allowed to open her mouth. Hopefully Anne will get the hint.
The food prep fairy has been on a kick of mealtime protocol. Promise is not allowed to eat with her hands. However, no one's allowed to interfere with Thorn's hand-feeding kink; so she is allowed to open her mouth. Hopefully Anne will get the hint.
Anne giggles. "Are fairies like birds? Look, look, I'm mama bird!" But food will be deposited in acceptably bite sized pieces.
"You're weird," Thomas contributes.
"I'm helping," Anne points out loftily.
He sticks his tongue out at her. "Still weird."
"You're weird," Thomas contributes.
"I'm helping," Anne points out loftily.
He sticks his tongue out at her. "Still weird."
Alisyrrabel | Promise
imeanforever
Chew. Chew. Headshake: fairies are not like birds.
"Hah! See? Fairy lady doesn't think I'm weird," Anne tells Thomas triumphantly.
"She could have shook her head at you!" Thomas objects.
"But I am helping. So you're wrong."
"Nuh-uh!"
"No fighting," Michael says sharply. "I'm trying to focus!"
Anne and Patrick subside, grumbling.
"She could have shook her head at you!" Thomas objects.
"But I am helping. So you're wrong."
"Nuh-uh!"
"No fighting," Michael says sharply. "I'm trying to focus!"
Anne and Patrick subside, grumbling.
Alisyrrabel | Promise
imeanforever
Promise continues chewing bread and submitting to leg treatment.
Michael finishes up and stands. "...now what?"
Anne blinks at him, then turns back to the fairy. "Do you want to stay here, fairy lady?" She thinks. She doesn't want to tell Jenny, or her parents, so she can't go in the house, and the house is sort of cramped anyway. "You can stay in the shed! I can get you blankets and stuff."
"Wouldn't the couch be nicer?" Thomas asks, confused.
"But Auntie Rosa is staying on the couch this weekend. What if she's..." Anne waves her hands vaguely, "here for... fairy... stuff... till then?"
Thomas shrugs. "Guess so."
Anne looks at the fairy expectantly. "Do you want to stay here, fairy lady? Is the shed okay?"
Anne blinks at him, then turns back to the fairy. "Do you want to stay here, fairy lady?" She thinks. She doesn't want to tell Jenny, or her parents, so she can't go in the house, and the house is sort of cramped anyway. "You can stay in the shed! I can get you blankets and stuff."
"Wouldn't the couch be nicer?" Thomas asks, confused.
"But Auntie Rosa is staying on the couch this weekend. What if she's..." Anne waves her hands vaguely, "here for... fairy... stuff... till then?"
Thomas shrugs. "Guess so."
Anne looks at the fairy expectantly. "Do you want to stay here, fairy lady? Is the shed okay?"
Alisyrrabel | Promise
imeanforever
Nod nod. She can't fly until her wings heal (well, maybe she could, but it would be hard and she'd likely crash and wind up hurt worse). These mortal children seem nice enough that she isn't optimistic whoever she'd crash nearest would be better.
Arranging this promptly becomes a game. Thomas, Patrick and Anne take turns sneaking into the house to fetch blankets and pillows without being spotted by their sister, while Michael proclaims himself having 'already done the bandaging, thanks,' and returns to his book. Before long the shed is reorganized for occupancy.
"There!" Anne says, satisfied. "Now you have a nest... fort... pillow... thing."
"There!" Anne says, satisfied. "Now you have a nest... fort... pillow... thing."
Alisyrrabel | Promise
imeanforever
Now she does have a nest fort pillow thing. Promise is not currently on heavy punishment restrictions, so, since she cannot make progress to her appointment, she can go sit in her nest fort pillow thing. Lying on her stomach, since the backs of her legs and her wings are beat up.
"Is she going to sleep?" Anne whispers to Thomas. Her voice isn't actually noticeably quieter, but her voice timbre changes, so it must be a whisper.
"She looks like it," Thomas whispers back, rather more successfully.
"Okay," Anne sighs, then returns to her normal voice. "Good night, fairy lady! I'll come back with food later!"
"But I wanted to go flyingggg," Patrick complains as she drags him away.
Anne rolls her eyes. "The fairy lady is tired and hurt," she tells him. "And we don't even know if she can fly."
"She has wings!"
"She hasn't used them, has she?"
In the face of this inescapable logic, Patrick yields, but reluctantly. "'m gonna ask her later," he grumbles.
"When she's better and awake!"
"Fiiiiine."
"She looks like it," Thomas whispers back, rather more successfully.
"Okay," Anne sighs, then returns to her normal voice. "Good night, fairy lady! I'll come back with food later!"
"But I wanted to go flyingggg," Patrick complains as she drags him away.
Anne rolls her eyes. "The fairy lady is tired and hurt," she tells him. "And we don't even know if she can fly."
"She has wings!"
"She hasn't used them, has she?"
In the face of this inescapable logic, Patrick yields, but reluctantly. "'m gonna ask her later," he grumbles.
"When she's better and awake!"
"Fiiiiine."
Alisyrrabel | Promise
imeanforever
The fairy lady is so tired and hurt. And she can't talk to these children, and they seem more than interested enough in her to come back when they think of more things to do that might let her communicate with them.
She puts her head down, good eye to the pillow, and sighs silently.
She puts her head down, good eye to the pillow, and sighs silently.
Anne manages to convince her brothers not to tell Jenny just yet, with some combination of fast talking and the inarguable point "but she's our secret fairy lady!" She suspects Michael isn't so much going along with it as simply not caring, but Thomas and Patrick are willing enough co-conspirators for the time being. It will do.
She wakes up before Jenny, so she goes to sneak back outside, but all the food is put away in the pantry. Her parents sleep next to the kitchen; they'll hear her if she starts taking things out. And then they might ask questions! Mentally apologizing to her sister, Anne steals a pack of gummy bears from Jenny's not-very-secret candy stash in the living room bookshelf and goes outside to the shed.
She knocks lightly on the door. "Fairy lady? I have food!"
She wakes up before Jenny, so she goes to sneak back outside, but all the food is put away in the pantry. Her parents sleep next to the kitchen; they'll hear her if she starts taking things out. And then they might ask questions! Mentally apologizing to her sister, Anne steals a pack of gummy bears from Jenny's not-very-secret candy stash in the living room bookshelf and goes outside to the shed.
She knocks lightly on the door. "Fairy lady? I have food!"
Alisyrrabel | Promise
imeanforever
Can Promise open the door? She's tried to keep a good mental tally of what applies and what doesn't and the exact words, on the eternal lookout for loopholes, but she hasn't been allowed to take personal notes and there's so many. She doesn't know if she can open the door for Anne until she successfully sits up and does it.
Her prize is a beaming Anne with a box of gummy bears. "Food!" She holds it out, then frowns. "Do I need to be a mama bird again?"
Alisyrrabel | Promise
imeanforever
Promise doesn't actually know anything about the habits of birds, but she's pretty sure that means "do I need to hand-feed you", so. Nod.
Then she may have some gummy bears. Anne picks them out in color order, because why not. Red first, then yellow, and so forth. Gummies!
Alisyrrabel | Promise
imeanforever
She's had worse.
Chew chew.
Chew chew.
When the box is empty, Anne looks at it in distress, realizing belatedly it's not very large.
"Do you want more later?" she asks worriedly. "That wasn't many gummies."
"Do you want more later?" she asks worriedly. "That wasn't many gummies."
Alisyrrabel | Promise
imeanforever
Nod. Healing the long way around is hungry work.
Then Anne will come back later with muffins stolen at breakfast.
Thomas stops her on her way out. "Is she still there?" he whispers.
"Duh!"
"What, really?"
So this time there are two of them arriving at the shed. Anne is still perfectly happy to mama bird, though.
Thomas stops her on her way out. "Is she still there?" he whispers.
"Duh!"
"What, really?"
So this time there are two of them arriving at the shed. Anne is still perfectly happy to mama bird, though.
Alisyrrabel | Promise
imeanforever
Promise eats muffins. Mortal food is weird, but she doesn't make faces about it. (She is not allowed to complain about what she's fed.)
Well, then Anne will have no way of knowing she thinks it's weird.
"She's real," Thomas says, sounding stunned.
"What are you talking about? You saw her! You were there too!"
"I thought it was just... a daydream, or something."
"Nuh-uh."
"This is nuts."
"I know!"
When the muffin is gone, Anne asks anxiously, "Do you need anything else, fairy lady?"
"She's real," Thomas says, sounding stunned.
"What are you talking about? You saw her! You were there too!"
"I thought it was just... a daydream, or something."
"Nuh-uh."
"This is nuts."
"I know!"
When the muffin is gone, Anne asks anxiously, "Do you need anything else, fairy lady?"
Alisyrrabel | Promise
imeanforever
Oh fuck yes she needs other things. She's not going to be able to answer followup questions, but her options are "nod yes" and "stare blankly". She goes with the first.
Well, that was... both helpful and uninformative. "Can you tell me what they are...?" Anne prompts.
Alisyrrabel | Promise
imeanforever
Headshake.
"But you can answer questions?" Anne says, more rhetorically than anything. "Can you tell someone else?" She then amends, "Anyone else I could ask?"
If she says 'that lady in Australia' or 'that guy in China', that doesn't exactly get Anne anywhere, after all.
If she says 'that lady in Australia' or 'that guy in China', that doesn't exactly get Anne anywhere, after all.
Alisyrrabel | Promise
imeanforever
Ambiguous. Anne's the only person Promise can stretch to count as a court member, right now; but another name could easily drop and then Promise could nod or shake her head for them too. But not talk. She still couldn't talk, not without pretty fortuitous happenstance. Promise shakes her head, slowly.
Anne grumbles.
"Can you write it down? Draw a picture?" Thomas asks.
"Can you write it down? Draw a picture?" Thomas asks.
Alisyrrabel | Promise
imeanforever
Thorn's smarter than that. But Anne didn't ask, so Promise can't even shake her head.
"Why does she like you better?" Thomas complains.
"I'm prettier," Anne says loftily, and repeats the question.
"I'm prettier," Anne says loftily, and repeats the question.
Alisyrrabel | Promise
imeanforever
Headshake.
Anne doesn't want to suggest just following her inside and pointing at things- her parents are inside, after all- but this does not stop her from brainstorming. "Can you act it out? Can you sing even if you can't talk? Can you make it out of fairy magic?"
Alisyrrabel | Promise
imeanforever
All of these suggestions get their own headshakes. Especially the fairy magic one. Promise can do no sorcery here.
Anne groans in frustration. "Is there anything to do so you can tell me?"
"She's not a very interesting fairy," Thomas observes. "Why didn't you find a more interesting fairy?"
"Shut up, butt face."
"She's not a very interesting fairy," Thomas observes. "Why didn't you find a more interesting fairy?"
"Shut up, butt face."
Alisyrrabel | Promise
imeanforever
Promise considers how to answer that. There are things Anne could do, but they're pretty farfetched (guessing Promise's name and rescinding her orders!) or possibly beyond her attention span (coming up with lots of possibilities to guess-and-check). Still, losing the children's interest before she's even healed enough to fly would be bad.
Nod.
Nod.
"Food? Medicine? Blanket fort stuff? Things to do?" Anne tries.
Alisyrrabel | Promise
imeanforever
Four headshakes.
"I don't know what else!" Anne says unhappily.
"Bathroom?" Thomas suggests.
"Ick. Boys," Anne says, but repeats the question anyway.
"Bathroom?" Thomas suggests.
"Ick. Boys," Anne says, but repeats the question anyway.
Alisyrrabel | Promise
imeanforever
Headshake.
Anne sighs. "Do you need anything soon? If I keep thinking? I can keep bringing you food, but I dunno what else to ask."
Alisyrrabel | Promise
imeanforever
Headshake. For conservative definitions of need, Promise doesn't currently need anything.
"Do you like the food so far?" Anne asks anxiously. "I can bring other stuff if you don't!"
Thomas rolls his eyes. "You can't even use the stove. What would you make?"
"Can too!"
"Fine, but you're not allowed."
"There's stuff that doesn't need cooking!"
"Not worth eating," Thomas says firmly, but lets it drop.
Thomas rolls his eyes. "You can't even use the stove. What would you make?"
"Can too!"
"Fine, but you're not allowed."
"There's stuff that doesn't need cooking!"
"Not worth eating," Thomas says firmly, but lets it drop.
Alisyrrabel | Promise
imeanforever
Well, Promise is not allowed to insincerely nod. So, headshake. Mortal food doesn't really agree with her.
"I'll try other things," Anne promises.
Over the next few meals, Promise will get... well, whatever Anne is being fed that night. Along with questions if it is any better, and if certain things are better than certain past things (so if none of it really works, she can at least aim for better bad food).
Over the next few meals, Promise will get... well, whatever Anne is being fed that night. Along with questions if it is any better, and if certain things are better than certain past things (so if none of it really works, she can at least aim for better bad food).
Alisyrrabel | Promise
imeanforever
Promise prefers vegetables and fruit and nuts to other things. The less processed the better.
In that case, the boys will happily help Anne scrounge food. Dinner plates in the Marino household have never been this vegetable-free before.
Alisyrrabel | Promise
imeanforever
How symbiotic. Om nom.
Promise will continue to be fed, and bandaged, by excited small children for another couple of days. If she's paying attention, she will pick up at least Michael's name in the process when he is badgered into playing nurse. Patrick loses interest quickly- "fairies are girls stuff," and his Superman action figure has become much more interesting since Superman might be real too- and Thomas is rather timid, but Anne remains endlessly fascinated. She has yet to get anything out of Fairy Lady other than nods or head shakes, but that has not stopped her yet.
It's just past dinner and Anne is in Michael's room, holding some re-purposed carrots and broccoli and trying to convince Michael to come with her outside to the shed.
"Pleeeease, Mikey? I don't know how to bandage!"
"Then you should learn," Michael says grumpily. "Help with Patrick."
"But I don't know how yet."
"Then practice. I'm reading. Drag someone else to the shed."
It's just past dinner and Anne is in Michael's room, holding some re-purposed carrots and broccoli and trying to convince Michael to come with her outside to the shed.
"Pleeeease, Mikey? I don't know how to bandage!"
"Then you should learn," Michael says grumpily. "Help with Patrick."
"But I don't know how yet."
"Then practice. I'm reading. Drag someone else to the shed."
Jenny Marino
bright_and_beautiful
Michael had left one of his books in the kitchen again. Walking into his room to return it, Jenny catches that last bit. "The shed? Why are you going to the shed?"
Guilty silences and shifty eyes ensue.
Jenny Marino
bright_and_beautiful
"Anna Maria Theresa Marino. Explain."
"We- just-" she growls in frustration. "Can I show you? You won't believe me."
Jenny Marino
bright_and_beautiful
"...fine. Shed, now."
Followed by a shamefaced, sulking Anne, Jenny walks into the shed, and stops dead in shock. The noise she makes is completely incomprehensible, but definitely surprised.
Followed by a shamefaced, sulking Anne, Jenny walks into the shed, and stops dead in shock. The noise she makes is completely incomprehensible, but definitely surprised.
Alisyrrabel | Promise
imeanforever
Promise didn't want to consciously apply names to boys, but she couldn't help it. She has those names now, snapped to where they go.
This older human she doesn't know a name for. She blinks up at her, from her sitting position that doesn't put her cut-up legs directly on the ground.
This older human she doesn't know a name for. She blinks up at her, from her sitting position that doesn't put her cut-up legs directly on the ground.
Jenny Marino
bright_and_beautiful
"You're- you have wings!" Jenny says blankly. "How are- what- what are you?"
She is ignoring Anne's insistent "fairy lady" from behind her. Fairies aren't a thing, they're a story.
...She'd thought.
She is ignoring Anne's insistent "fairy lady" from behind her. Fairies aren't a thing, they're a story.
...She'd thought.
Alisyrrabel | Promise
imeanforever
Still not allowed to talk. Cannot communicate "yep, fairy" in nodding. She flaps her wings slightly, not enough to sting the still-healing ragged edges.
Jenny Marino
bright_and_beautiful
"Aaaagh. You can't just- just- sit there and be mysterious," Jenny says in exasperation. "You... Somehow have wings? And have been hanging out with my siblings, apparently! Why? What are you? Who are you? Say something!"
Alisyrrabel | Promise
imeanforever
"Something," blurts Promise unexpectedly -
(the little mortals must have taken some food from this one at some point it must have been hers enough to count)
"I'm a fairy," she adds quickly before the leeway of "something" wears off, "called Promise and right now I can only talk if you personally directly tell me to."
(the little mortals must have taken some food from this one at some point it must have been hers enough to count)
"I'm a fairy," she adds quickly before the leeway of "something" wears off, "called Promise and right now I can only talk if you personally directly tell me to."
Jenny Marino
bright_and_beautiful
"She talked!" Anne exclaims from the door. "She's never done that before!"
Jenny puts her face in her hands. "I have no idea what's going ooooon," she moans. "Okaaaay, then. Anne, wait outside please. I'll shout if I need you, all right?"
Anne leaves, reluctantly, to slump sulkily against the outside wall of the shed. Jenny takes a breath. "Now. Er... Promise, right? You can- okay, eek, I don't know how to do this. Or what this is. Or, like, anything, geez. So... I, personally, directly, am telling you to talk. Like... what's going on?!"
Jenny puts her face in her hands. "I have no idea what's going ooooon," she moans. "Okaaaay, then. Anne, wait outside please. I'll shout if I need you, all right?"
Anne leaves, reluctantly, to slump sulkily against the outside wall of the shed. Jenny takes a breath. "Now. Er... Promise, right? You can- okay, eek, I don't know how to do this. Or what this is. Or, like, anything, geez. So... I, personally, directly, am telling you to talk. Like... what's going on?!"
Alisyrrabel | Promise
imeanforever
Promise takes a deep breath. "Sometimes natural tears between Fairyland and the mortal world open. They're basically impossible to detect and I walked into one and wound up in the yard out there with the little mortals and they put me here. I can't fly right now so I didn't leave."
Jenny Marino
bright_and_beautiful
Jenny looks around in alarm. "Is it still there? Aw, geez, Anne's not going to fall through or anything, is she?"
Alisyrrabel | Promise
imeanforever
Promise shakes her head. "If it were still there I'd have to go back."
Jenny Marino
bright_and_beautiful
"...have to? Why have to? You don't want to go home?"
Alisyrrabel | Promise
imeanforever
"I don't want to go back where I was."
Jenny Marino
bright_and_beautiful
That's... quite a face. If Anne ever made that face, Jenny would probably become extremely violent at whoever caused it. Despite the fact that Promise looks a fair bit older than she is, she's shorter and winged and Jenny is allowed to be irrational about her surprise background fairy.
"I mean. You can't stay in our shed for ever and ever? But you don't have to go back if you don't want to... er, I mean, can I help at all?"
"I mean. You can't stay in our shed for ever and ever? But you don't have to go back if you don't want to... er, I mean, can I help at all?"
Alisyrrabel | Promise
imeanforever
"...If you could just repeat the sentence I rescind all your orders that would be enormously helpful."
Jenny Marino
bright_and_beautiful
"...is that in any way dangerous? If you had four kid siblings you loved to itty bitty pieces next door who you were responsible for and had a surprise fairy in your shed asking you that, would you do it? Honestly?"
Alisyrrabel | Promise
imeanforever
"I can't do magic here. I can't even fly. I'm pretty harmless in terms of what I can do even if you don't want to trust what I would, and you'll still be able to tell me what to do afterwards, anyway."
Jenny Marino
bright_and_beautiful
Jenny sizes up Promise consideringly. Tiny, sad, sporting visible damage. The black eye is fading, but it's still in the 'gaudily colorful' end of 'fading'. Jenny sighs, feeling bad. This girl, fairy or no, looks like she has had a horrible few weeks. "I rescind all your orders."
Alisyrrabel | Promise
imeanforever
Promise relaxes substantially, but does not do anything else, let alone anything threatening. "Thanks. ...If you want to order me not to order your siblings to do anything I won't really object."
Jenny Marino
bright_and_beautiful
"You can-! Don't order my siblings ever!" Jenny says, panicked and horrified. "Why can you order my siblings?! Can you order me? How do I fix it?"
Alisyrrabel | Promise
imeanforever
"I can't order you because I don't know your name. If you think I'll run across it go ahead and tell me not to give you orders either just in case. I know their names, because they said them, but I couldn't talk before and now I can't give them orders, and I wasn't going to anyway," Promise says. "You can order me, probably because they took some food that belonged to you when they were feeding me or something. I was under orders not to take food that would vassalize me like that but it's safe to take food from people who are already one's own vassal so as long as the girl was handing me everything I could accept it, since I didn't know any of it was yours; if I didn't have her name I would have been just - not eating, the entire time."
Jenny Marino
bright_and_beautiful
"...so that's where my gummy bears went," Jenny murmurs exasperatedly. "Okay. Don't order me or anyone from my family, then, I guess. Er, can I turn the order thing off? I don't know where you could go that you won't, like... have to eat, or hear people's names, or whatever."
Alisyrrabel | Promise
imeanforever
"You can't turn it off. It's just part of being a fairy. I can take mortal food from you without making anything worse, and I can take mortal food from your siblings without that doing anything at all."
Jenny Marino
bright_and_beautiful
"So if you leave, you just- can do this to other people? Or they could do it to you?" Jenny isn't really that horrified- Promise has been reasonably nice so far. It doesn't seem like a threat. But picturing Promise ordering her siblings makes it very clear that this is still a scary, scary idea. "I wouldn't send you back to someone who beats you or anything, but is there anywhere you can go? Er, anywhere safe?"
Alisyrrabel | Promise
imeanforever
"If I could get back to Fairyland I could go somewhere he probably wouldn't find me. But I don't know where to find any gates on this end, and the tear is gone and it might take thousands of years for me to run into another one."
Jenny Marino
bright_and_beautiful
"...I have no idea what to do with you," Jenny says unhappily. "I'm only sixteen! I don't- you are so way out of my comfort zone. I mean, I wouldn't starve you or anything, but...but... fairy!"
Alisyrrabel | Promise
imeanforever
"While you can, technically, keep me as a pet, I don't exactly relish the prospect," Promise points out. "I will have some trouble feeding myself without help but once I can fly around help doesn't have to be you."
Jenny Marino
bright_and_beautiful
"You're not a pet! You're a person!" Jenny objects somewhat automatically, then her brow furrows. "Well. The Bible doesn't exactly cover fairies, but still. You're obviously not an animal, I'm not gonna keep you as a pet, that's twisted."
Alisyrrabel | Promise
imeanforever
"Okay, well, since that's established, knowing what to do with me is not the problem. I will decide what to do with me. In the meantime since I'm injured and can't easily go looking for other mortals, it would be nice of you to feed me, and nice of you to explain to me things I may not know about the mortal world so I don't get confused."
Jenny Marino
bright_and_beautiful
"Oooookay, crazy fairy lady, I am missing the step from 'there is an injured girl secretly living in the shed in my backyard being fed by my eight year old sister and this is something I might need to deal with' to 'I think of you as a puppy'? And I already said I'm not gonna let you starve, geez." She sticks her head out the door. "Anne? You brought food, right?"
Carrots and broccoli are handed through and wordlessly, if mildly annoyedly, offered to Promise.
Carrots and broccoli are handed through and wordlessly, if mildly annoyedly, offered to Promise.
Alisyrrabel | Promise
imeanforever
Promise eats them. "You said you didn't know what to do with me. I'm pointing out you don't need to do anything with me," she says.
Jenny Marino
bright_and_beautiful
Jenny's brain immediately comes up with about seventeen ways in which this is not at all the case, but Promise has already said she doesn't understand the mortal world and it doesn't seem worth the argument. And they do revolve around a relevant unanswered question. "Well, are you planning to stay here?" she asks instead. "Cause then I need to make some choices. If only about grocery shopping."
Alisyrrabel | Promise
imeanforever
"It would be nice of you to let me at least until I can fly again. That should be - a few weeks, maybe, I've never had to let my wings heal naturally before," says Promise. "I like vegetables and fruit and nuts, mostly - I don't know how to be sure I'm getting a really good diet in mortal food, but I'm not going to die of it, at any rate."
Jenny Marino
bright_and_beautiful
"You can stay, seriously, you're injured and alone and I'm not a monster. Plus we wouldn't, like, drag you to a lab to poke at your wings or anything." She shudders. "I'm just worrying that I should try to find you a shelter, or something? But then you might learn people's names, or eat someone's food by accident, or whatever, and I don't know if that's better, for anyone."
Alisyrrabel | Promise
imeanforever
"This shed is a shelter," Promise points out. "Did you mean something else?"
Jenny Marino
bright_and_beautiful
"Oh. Yeah, I meant like buildings that take in people that have nowhere to go? Homeless shelters for people who don't have anywhere to live, or-" don't look at the black eye, don't look at the wings, "women's shelters for women who get beaten up by their husband or whatever. Or the church will take in pretty much anyone if you ask, they've got some extra beds in the back. But... wings. It all sorta falls apart at the wings? I mean. You're fictional, here."
Alisyrrabel | Promise
imeanforever
"I don't have any really strong opinions on where I stay, since I can't go home to my tree, or get a cutting of it."
Jenny Marino
bright_and_beautiful
"Aaaaand this is a tree such that we cannot, say, buy you an acorn and you can grow another, I guess?"
Alisyrrabel | Promise
imeanforever
"No. It would have to be the tree I started in or a cutting from that exact one."
Jenny Marino
bright_and_beautiful
"You... started in? What, like where you were born?"
Alisyrrabel | Promise
imeanforever
"I wasn't born, I'm not one of the kinds of fairy that gets born. I just started."
Jenny Marino
bright_and_beautiful
"Oh good," Jenny mutters. "Today wasn't weird enough, fairies in my back yard and freaky mind control powers, let's add spontaneously appearing people." She stares at Promise uncertainly. "So God just... made you? There's a whole world full of Adams and Eves?"
Alisyrrabel | Promise
imeanforever
"I... don't know what you're talking about."
Jenny Marino
bright_and_beautiful
"God made everything," Jenny explains absently, still staring somewhat warily. "The universe and people and stuff. And he made the first people from nothing, we call them Adam and Eve. Or that's the story anyway? There's this whole complicated thing about evolution, and- right, off topic- er. It's not quiiiite right, but- but- still. Making things from nothing is what God does." She swallows. "I guess the Bible doesn't say anything about... fairy people, or magic, or... whatever, though."
Alisyrrabel | Promise
imeanforever
"If this person made fairies," says Promise, wings quivering, "then they have a lot to answer for."
Jenny Marino
bright_and_beautiful
"Most people say that even without knowing about fairies," Jenny agrees sadly. "People are sorta horrible sometimes. But that's how free will works, I guess." She grimaces. "At least they have to atone for their sins in Hell when they die."
Alisyrrabel | Promise
imeanforever
"...I don't know what that is either."
Jenny Marino
bright_and_beautiful
"Oh. Sorry, was that not a thing from context? If you do bad things, when you die you go to Hell and are punished until you atone." She shuffles a little, awkwardly. "I guess everyone's bad a little, no one's perfect, but you have to be really bad to go all the way to Hell."
Alisyrrabel | Promise
imeanforever
"That. That doesn't help."
Jenny Marino
bright_and_beautiful
"It probably doesn't apply to you anyway?" Jenny says uncertainly. "I mean, it's only humans, not animals or anything, and you're- like, sorta human in that you're not a lizard or whatever, but you're also really not human. You probably have your own thing."
Alisyrrabel | Promise
imeanforever
"Fairies live forever. But - as it happened the person who had me, before, was a fairy, but he didn't have me so long that a mortal couldn't have done the same thing. If it had been a mortal, punishing him after he died wouldn't do anything useful. I would still have -" She trails off.
Jenny Marino
bright_and_beautiful
"God made us, and He loves us, but He doesn't interfere, not like you're thinking," Jenny says softly. "I... don't know happened to you, exactly, but... do you want a hug? It sounds horrible, and I'm sorry."
Alisyrrabel | Promise
imeanforever
"No thank you. My wings are still half shredded."
Jenny Marino
bright_and_beautiful
Jenny decides not to ask. It doesn't sound like there's fairy police she can call, or anything on those lines. She wants to, though. "I mean. Salve for the wings, then? Anything that's not stolen carrots provided by my kid sister?"
Alisyrrabel | Promise
imeanforever
"They'll heal. I don't know anything about local medicines. If I were in Fairyland I could heal myself but sorcery doesn't work here. I could use a bit more food than I've been getting - I don't think you're likely to poison me and everything tastes weird but I'm definitely on more solid ground with fruits and vegetables and nuts."
Jenny Marino
bright_and_beautiful
"Sorcery?" Jenny asks rather nervously. "But I can do more vegetables easy. Actually, hang on."
She walks over and steps out the door. Anne's removed herself from the immediate vicinity of the shed to play in the dirt hopscotch drawn in the grass, but comes over when she sees her sister. Jenny describes the locations of various vegetables and how to access them, and sends Anne off with a stern face. It is the face of Not Telling Adults Important Things. Like the magical fairy in the backyard. That is very important.
But for now she will accept vegetables.
Anne leaves to fetch the food as instructed, still sulking slightly but obviously guilty enough to be obedient. Jenny sighs and returns to the shed. "She'll be back with more variety soon," she reports. "I can't really explain the local medicines, though, sorry. Like, I know how they work on humans? Mostly P-" she halts herself at the last second from saying Patrick's name. "-on my baby brother."
She walks over and steps out the door. Anne's removed herself from the immediate vicinity of the shed to play in the dirt hopscotch drawn in the grass, but comes over when she sees her sister. Jenny describes the locations of various vegetables and how to access them, and sends Anne off with a stern face. It is the face of Not Telling Adults Important Things. Like the magical fairy in the backyard. That is very important.
But for now she will accept vegetables.
Anne leaves to fetch the food as instructed, still sulking slightly but obviously guilty enough to be obedient. Jenny sighs and returns to the shed. "She'll be back with more variety soon," she reports. "I can't really explain the local medicines, though, sorry. Like, I know how they work on humans? Mostly P-" she halts herself at the last second from saying Patrick's name. "-on my baby brother."
Alisyrrabel | Promise
imeanforever
"I don't know if they'll work on me or hurt me or do nothing," shrugs Promise. "I'll heal eventually, and the scars will go away eventually. And the fairy who did it will live forever, and if he were being punished instead that would not help."
Jenny Marino
bright_and_beautiful
"God doesn't control us," Jenny reminds her. "He could, but that's... not love. We're not just His puppets."
Alisyrrabel | Promise
imeanforever
"So explain fairies. I started with a name. Anyone who knows that name can tell me to do anything they want. The Queen is a fairy whose personal magic allows her to automatically know every fairy's name. If being puppets is not the idea, why make the Queen?"
Jenny Marino
bright_and_beautiful
"You are from actually, literally, honestly Fairyland? Until this morning my explanation for fairies was 'they don't exist'? Don't ask me, for all I know you have your own fairy-only god and yours is just way more horrible than mine."
Alisyrrabel | Promise
imeanforever
"What does God do, if it's not," handwave, "anything I would have noticed?"
Jenny Marino
bright_and_beautiful
"He made the universe, and He loves us and teaches us what is right. Mostly with the Bible and prophets. There are lots of prophets and we go over them all in Sunday school and I lose track a lot, but they're a thing. And he rewards good people when they die, and bad people go to Hell to repent their sins."
Alisyrrabel | Promise
imeanforever
Promise does not look impressed.
"I admit I don't know very much about the world but I suspect I could do a better job of making a universe than what I've heard if any of what I think I know is right and I had universe-making powers in the first place."
"I admit I don't know very much about the world but I suspect I could do a better job of making a universe than what I've heard if any of what I think I know is right and I had universe-making powers in the first place."
Jenny Marino
bright_and_beautiful
"He already did a better job than yours!" Jenny points out defensively.
Alisyrrabel | Promise
imeanforever
"It's not like if anyone made Fairyland they consulted me on it," Promise points out. "I'm comparatively new as fairies go."
Jenny Marino
bright_and_beautiful
Jenny blinks at her confusedly- the fairy's response doesn't follow, in Jenny's head. Does the fact that she wasn't consulted make the way her world was created better? Maybe she's just young? At least Jenny can tell people her name without becoming Ella Enchanted.
"How new is new?"
"How new is new?"
Alisyrrabel | Promise
imeanforever
"I don't know exactly. I think I was about... twelve years old, maybe, when Thorn got me. It's been longer than that since. I'm probably still less than a hundred."
Jenny Marino
bright_and_beautiful
"Huh, okay. You'd be a full blown adult here, driver's license and voting and all that jazz, but I guess you do live waaaay longer."
Alisyrrabel | Promise
imeanforever
"I was never a child," Promise says.
Jenny Marino
bright_and_beautiful
Oops, was that an insult or something? Jenny is getting the feeling she keeps accidentally saying the wrong thing. "Sorry, sorry, not what I meant! Just, the 'new' thing. To us you're not that new? That's all."
Alisyrrabel | Promise
imeanforever
"I understand."
Jenny Marino
bright_and_beautiful
"Well, either way. I still have no idea how Fairyland theology works. You have to ask other fairies, I guess."
Alisyrrabel | Promise
imeanforever
"Fairies don't have theology. That seems to be a mortal thing."
Jenny Marino
bright_and_beautiful
"I can bring you to church, if you want?" Jenny offers uncertainly. "If you can hide the wings and avoid names?"
Alisyrrabel | Promise
imeanforever
"...So as to accomplish what?"
Jenny Marino
bright_and_beautiful
"Experience God for yourself, if you want. You don't seem to have one. I like church; it's peaceful and comforting and friendly. I don't accomplish things in church, exactly, it just makes me feel happy."
Alisyrrabel | Promise
imeanforever
"It's probably intractable to avoid names," Promise points out. "And hiding my wings while they're shredded sounds very uncomfortable. When you say 'experience' what do you mean?"
Jenny Marino
bright_and_beautiful
Jenny giggles. "Not in an interactive way. We sing, and say prayers, and read from the Bible, and stuff like that. It makes me feel closer to Him. Not everyone gets it," and Promise sounds like she probably wouldn't, "and I'm hardly going to make you go. There's no point if you're not actually interested. But you were asking a lot of questions about God, and church is usually where those get answered, so, I thought I'd offer."
Alisyrrabel | Promise
imeanforever
"...How does the singing part help with making any of it make sense?"
Jenny Marino
bright_and_beautiful
"I'm not great at describing it," Jenny admits. "Something about lots of people singing together, and pretty harmonies, and beautiful music, and 'feeling connected and together and part of something larger than yourself.' And yes," she adds wryly, "I stole that quote from Father O'Brien. Like I said, with me and describing things."
Alisyrrabel | Promise
imeanforever
"I'm going to just. Categorize all this as a mortal thing."
Jenny Marino
bright_and_beautiful
"No big, your call," Jenny says, accepting this with a philosophical shrug. Evangelizing is very not her speed. "Do you-"
A hand appears through the door, holding two bags of nuts and a mixed bag of vegetables. "Thanks sweetheart!" Jenny calls out to Anne, relaying the food offer to Promise. "These look any better?"
A hand appears through the door, holding two bags of nuts and a mixed bag of vegetables. "Thanks sweetheart!" Jenny calls out to Anne, relaying the food offer to Promise. "These look any better?"
Alisyrrabel | Promise
imeanforever
"Looks great." Promise digs in.