With Useless Wings

he fairy that can't fly, the girl who made her home in the forest. Clio Odharnait is my name and my favorite color is green.

[scarlettxruby]

Auld Lang Syne - Ruby +

[scarlettxruby]

Ruby smiled as she started to get to her feet. “I guess that would be a plus,” she smiled. “But to be able to fly whenever you-” Ruby stopped short, realizing that the woman had just told her she couldn’t fly. “I”m sorry,” she added quickly, standing fully now. She rubbed the back of her head. “Um, South Carolina. On the beach. It’s warm most of the year. Not now, but mostly.”

Seeing that the conversation was making the woman uncomfortable, Ruby felt bad for all the questions. “Do you wanna come in? It’s warm, I promise. You don’t have to stay. And I can make you something to eat. As thanks for helping me?”

[aflightlessfairy-blog]

Clio got up slowly too, brushing the dirt off of her worn out clothes. She clicked her tongue, to bring her little familiar back within sight and she picked up the fox pup in her arms. “It’s... It’s fine.” She told Ruby with half a shrug, smiling sadly. “I still think that... That maybe I will do it one day, you know? I will fly.” Charlie licked her cheek and the fairy smiled. “Oh, that sounds nice. Really nice. It’s always kinda chilly from where I’m from... Pennsylvania. All the forests. The summer is nice but spring is my favorite. Do you have a favorite season?”

“I.... Uh... I don’t want to burden you. You really don’t have to thank me for helping you...”, Clio said awkwardly, wringing her hands together nervously. She was not used to this kind of hospitality from people. Or somebody else’s house. But she wanted friends, someone to talk to. “Maybe if... If you really don’t mind....”

[aflightlessfairy-blog]

[hanarocksong-blog]

catacombing || open

True to gargoyle work ethic, Hana hadn’t been so impulsive in her move to Sumner to not secure a job beforehand.  And fortunately Sumner was in need of people of her skillset. Hana gladly took on contracts: nearby quarries, old buildings that needed demolishing - and of course, the catacombs.

Ever since Hana had been vacationing in Sumner, she knew about the catacombs.  As a child, they were used as boogeyman tales - ‘finish your gaji-naengguk or we’ll put you in the catacombs for the night’; and as a teenager, it was a place for dares, urban legends and stupid-wild parties.  Then as an adult, Hana had really just…forgotten about them. 

This particular job came from the Mayor’s Office directly, about one particular catacomb that was causing the Academy campus particular grief.  Hana’s duty was straightforward: take the construction crew at 9am tomorrow and obliterate the cave entrance.

But Hana didn’t like that.  She was no longer a gargoyle, but the nymph-gift her mother passed to her compelled her to understand the rock.  It was an unfamiliar yet oddly comforting urge for the newly-minted nymph. So that night, armed with a flashlight and a large vanilla latte, Hana headed to the catacomb’s entrance near the pebbly beach. The nymph wrapped her coat around her tighter as she took a few steps in. Not too far, or you’ll never find your way out!  There were things inside the catacombs that wanted you. - or so the urban legends went.  Hana snorted.  Ridiculous silly teenaged nonsense.

“Hello!” she called in to the darkness of the cave, enjoying the way her voice echoed back. Hello…ello…lo.

….“hello?”

The voice sounded tiny and distant, and Hana froze in shock.  Had she heard that?  Or was that her mind playing tricks on her?  This late at night, she couldn’t even be sure where it was coming from - the catacombs or the water.  Frightened, Hana swung her flashlight about wildly.  “Sh - show yourselves!  I’m - I’m armed!”  She wasn’t, but it was the best she could come up with.

[aflightlessfairy-blog]

This had been a bad idea, a very bad idea. Clio should have whole-heartedly taken into account the way Charlie had growled at the entrance of the cave and had refused to walk inside until the fairy had taken him into her arms. And still, the fox pup had barely stopped yipping and whining until Clio had wrapped him in her jacket like a baby, a very unhappy baby who was now quiet but still alert. She had wanted to explore what was now essentially her town. There were far more places to be seen than just the beloved forest and the clueless fairy had impulsively followed a group of young adults that were talking about tunnels and caves, her curiosity strong. 

Instantly, she had known that the catacombs were no place for her. Sure, the natural passageways were pretty and natural.  But she was a fairy, for crying out loud. Even if her wings were useless, she had been made for open spaces and green environments. The problem was that when the young fairy had turned around and retraced her steps to the entrance of the cave, she was met with solid rock wall. A dead end. Trying not to panic, she had repeated the same process again and again, no success. With her heart rate starting to race she had kept walking and walking until her feet had started to ache, and even Charlie hadn’t been able to stay still any longer. And now there was no Iann to miraculously come and save her. 

About to accept her defeat and curl up on the ground to either wallow in misery or think about a possible solution, the small fairy heard a voice. It didn’t sound like a threat, not the word “hello”. And maybe whoever it was knew the way out or were lost too... And they could get help together, but whatever it was, it was better than being alone. “Hello...”, Clio called back quietly, voice a little fearful like it always was. Then there was a light and... Oh, they were armed. Not that Clio could hurt a fly but even a fly could hurt Clio. “Uh... I-I’m not? A-Armed.” she responded again, taking a couple of fearful steps and poking her head around the natural corner of the rock. “I-I’m Clio and I... I got lost.”

[aflightlessfairy-blog]

Corazón || Iann & Clio

[ashnadir]

Iann trotted upstairs from the basement, clad in his work clothes - jeans and a t-shirt, with a rubber apron on, nitrile gloves and goggles.  He’d been downstairs working on the hearts he’d collected around town, and as a little while had passed since Valentines, he’d managed to accumulate quite a few.  He was glad in a way that Sara was gone, and Clio was able to be reinstalled into the attic bedroom.  For one, the attic had light and felt more comfy than the cold concrete basement; and for two, Iann was storing all the hearts down there now.  Although he hadn’t yet considered that Clio herself hadn’t received a heart yet, he was too busy thinking about the convenience of not having to explain what he was doing with them or why.

It was with those thoughts that Iann came up to the main floor in the backroom of the Mal Ojo shop, to see the back door open wide, and Clio rushing backwards, freezing suddenly with her hands covering her face.  Alarmed at teh sight, Iann took in the scene as quickly as he could - the fox curling behind her, blood on Clio’s hands and staining her clothes, and….

“Mierda…” Iann said, when he spotted the box.  He recognized it immediately - one of the boxes that had the Valentines hearts.  Idiota! he thought to himself.  How could he forget about Clio?  When him and Melissa got theirs, he had been so discombobulated.  And then in his desire to externalize the horror of these ‘gifts’, he’d turned his full attentions to the town - everyone else’s hearts, not those who still resided in his home.  And Clio - christ.  The girl moved so silently, so delicately and so intent on not disturbing a soul, that Iann being as absent-minded as he was, often truly did forget that she lived with them.  He remembered only in spurts, when he saw her, but she was such a quiet thing.

He’d completely forgotten.  

How long had her gift remained outside of the backdoor for her?  A few days, really.  Untouched, which was unsurprising.  People were discomfited by the things, after all.  And Clio was no exception.

Iann hustled over to her, but only got close enough (making enough noise so he wouldn’t startle her) to let her know he saw her.  Iann didn’t touch her, not yet.  “Clio,” he said, then looked down at the box, still open.  Inside was a tiny heart, small enough that Iann almost felt a shock.  Was it also a hummingbird heart, like his?  No - this one, if possible, was slightly larger, and struggling to beat.  “Clio, go upstairs, go on.  Go wait for me in our living room,” Iann said, moving to the box and scooping it up.  He closed it immediately, tucking it under his arm.  He wondered what her heart could mean - right now, he guessed she was mostly reacting from the shock of the gory, unpleasant thing.   “Go on, I’ll be there soon, hija.” Iann instructed again, this time his voice a little less gruff and stern.  He looked down at Charlie, hoping the little fox would prompt his companion into moving.

[aflightlessfairy-blog]

Clio remained paralyzed to the ground, stomach still twisting into knots as her brain seemed to be invaded by the irregular thump-thump of the little heart. Even her own heart seemed to have taken into beating in that similar rhythm and it just added to the horrifying incongruence of everything. In that moment, Iann appeared within the fairy’s range of vision and her lungs immediately felt less constricted and she could release a tiny and shuddering breath. Iann fixed things, Iann made things better, Iann had saved her life and had become an incredibly comforting and respected figure in Clio’s life. She swallowed hard at his voice and couldn’t manage any words to explain how she had ended up in this whole situation. But his whole demeanor seemed rushed and urgent so Clio didn’t think to even start not immediately obeying his command. She trusted him and that was all that mattered. Charlie barked to snap Clio out of her daze and she nodded, swiftly making her way upstairs with the fox pup hot on her heels.

The young fairy sat down on the farthest end of the couch and tried taking a couple of deep breaths to regain her composure but it was futile. Her hands were trembling unstoppably, still smeared with crimson and she kept them away from the cushion’s fabric, tucking them tightly between her knees. Charlie got on her lap and kept nudging her, trying to help, but Clio’s brain was moving a million miles per hour. Had she angered someone without knowing? Was it her fault? The poor bird... How was the heart still beating? What was Iann going to do with it? Was Clio in trouble? Was it... Was it from mother? Had she somehow found her? It was the last question that had the fairy rocking herself a little in a panic, breathing close to hyperventilating as Charlie kept whining on her lap trying to get her attention.

[casefilesofelizabethbell-deacti]

Sometimes in January//Open

[casefilesofelizabethbell-deacti]

Tink didn’t so much as bark at the intrusion of her space. Like her fairy the familiar could be touchy. Elizabeth knew it was a defensive mechanism. Push people away until they stop asking questions. It had worked. If one didn’t count the nightmares and the drinking. She survived though. And she helped people. It had to count for something. Tink had always been the friendlier of the pair though. Maybe she admitted what Elizabeth wouldn’t that they were social creatures. 

Speaking of social Elizabeth smiled at the girl’s exuberance. It was easy to tell that Clio had been through some sort of trauma. Between her cases and herself Elizabeth knew the signs. While everyone responded differently depending on the trauma and the context there were broad categories and some general similarities. Still Elizabeth forced herself not to guess. She was trying to cool it with trying to figure out the people around her. Unless she was getting paid it wasn’t her buisness. Besides important truths always came out eventually. 

As the other fae scooted close Elizabeth half turned to her, face partially illuminated by the moonlight. “I like the weird,” she said, “It makes me feel normal.” She meant that too. Going up fae in a town of mostly humans had always made her feel strange, constantly out of place. After losing her wings the feeling had only intensified. She wasn’t human, but she wasn’t fae either. Not properly anyway. But most people in Sumner didn’t fit. They weren’t quite what they were supposed to be. “I’ve been here for five years.” She smiled a little crookedly, “And I try not to pick favorites it hurts the other trees feelings.” 

[aflightlessfairy-blog]

Clio’s small fingers kept running through Tink’s soft fur, scratching behind her ears and wanting to make the dog like her. Charlie the little traitor was still perched on the other woman’s lap and he kept balancing his tail slowly from side to side, conveying that he was happy. He really liked Sumner, and even being a wild animal, he seemed more relaxed and content living with the Cardero’s instead of the forest where they had lived for a couple of weeks. He had definitely made himself at home in the spacious attic faster than Clio had. She had trouble feeling like it was her room, a safe space designated for only her, with a door that locked from the inside –not the outside– where she could be herself. Yet, she still had trouble on raising her voice to be more than a whisper most of the time. And the flinching was always there. But she liked to tell herself that she was improving. Her bruises had almost faded and the strange little town was already more of an actual home than the young fairy had ever had.

With her chin resting on her knees, Clio tilted her head curiously. She smiled again. “I mean... In this town we kind of are normal, I think? Because people know that fairies are... That fairies are. But a centaur could walk– err... Gallop into town and that wouldn’t be so normal.” The small fairy said with a quiet chuckle. “It’s nice feeling normal.” Eyebrows lifting a little, Clio regarded Elizabeth with a slow nod. “That’s a long time... Or maybe not? Not for the ones that live all the years, like vampires...”, she drifted off before she could start rambling again. Clio wasn’t chatty at all, but Elizabeth was probably the quietest person she had met so far. Iann talked a lot and answered all of Clio’s questions. Because the young blonde had an insane amount of questions product of her life in “captivity”. And she wanted to ask so many of those to Elizabeth but she didn’t want to make her angry. Or annoyed. Or make her leave with Tink. Clio chuckled again and shook her head slightly, making her wild blonde curls fly around her face. “That’s the greatest answer... I’m a traitor and I like willows. I hope the pines don’t get sad at me.”

[aflightlessfairy-blog]

Corazón || Iann & Clio

Clio stood in front of the mirror, staring at her reflection. She looked... different. In a good way, she supposed. Her skin was still pale, but not as pale as it had been a few weeks ago. Almost every bruise had disappeared from her slender body, and while her clothes still hung a few sizes too big from her tiny frame, her ribcage was less protruding and her cheeks less hollow. She liked the new Clio, the one who had eyes that looked alive and wasn’t always staring down at her feet. Things were so much better above ground... As she thought about that, her right wing twitched with the familiar urge to be used. And slowly, the young fairy stretched her feathery white wing, admiring it in the mirror. She had always thought her wings were beautiful, unlike mother who liked tearing the feathers off and other cruel punishments. It felt great, to use the muscles that had been dormant for so long, all her life. She didn’t remember if she had ever stretched both of her wings at the same time, let alone flapped them. And she also didn’t know if she would ever get to do so, given that her left wing was immobile against her back, bruised and broken. The slightest movement bringing infinite pain. Clio didn’t even want to begin to wonder if it still worked or if it will ever.

With a sad sigh, she folded her wing back behind her and threw on her oversized jacket, heading towards her door. Charlie could use some fresh air and so did she. Upon opening the door, Clio was met with a beautiful box at the doorstep. Maybe it was Iann’s or Melissa’s, because she had no reason to receive a present. Even on Valentine’s Day. Upon looking closer, the fairy’s heart jumped with excitement, it was addressed to her! The fox pup was sniffling curiously and much to Clio’s confusion, he lowered his ears and snarled. “Must be chocolate...”, she thought as she sat down and started unwrapping the box carefully, a smile on her lips. She loved chocolate. The card is so pretty but so weird... The girl has never been good with poetry, but this one really doesn’t sound like a Valentine’s Day one. More like Halloween. But Clio shrugs it off, she just wants some candy.

But her fingers graze something that’s wet and warm and throbbing and she immediately drops the box with a muffled squeak, her fingers covered in blood? Her stomach churning, Clio finishes removing the card and looks down paralyzed, her face turning green. In the box lays a tiny and battered sparrow heart, still beating. Charlie barks at it and dashes to hide behind Clio. Horrified, Clio scoots behind, trying to get away from whatever that is, blood smearing on her shirt. She can somehow still see it, still hear the weak beating of the organ. It’s awful and she can’t understand... With crimson hands, the fairy tries to cover both her eyes and her ears and tries to get up and run away to take shelter in the trees, but her limbs aren’t listening to her.

[melissacardero-deactivated20170]

intruder alert | Clio & Mel

The sounds Melissa had heard downstairs put her on high alert. Ever since that evening in Chicago when Mal O’Ho had been broken into, it was like every little sound woke Melissa up and someone breaking into their new Sumner Mal Ojo was a constant fear for the young woman. It was their livelihood, everything Melissa loved, where she had found everything she loved. It was no secret Melissa was extremely protective over the shop. 

It probably wasn’t the best idea to not wake Iann, but Melissa was moving on instincts now, grabbing a bat she stored under the bed and padding quietly downstairs. Her sleep addled mind hadn’t even started to remember the fact that Iann had taken in another lodger. All Melissa could think of was: intruder. She gripped the bat so tightly that her knuckles turned white and she narrowed her eyes in determination once she reached the back room.

Melissa saw a shape, unexpectedly out of the corner of her eye and shouted in surprise. “Fuck! Shoot, sugar!” The surprise faded and instinct took over once again, Melissa swung, but only hit air. 

@aflightlessfairy

[aflightlessfairy-blog]

Clio had woken up with a muffled yelp as she had turned on her back and jostled her injured wing. There had been a few seconds of horrified disorientation and panic, product of not recognizing her surroundings, but the fairy lights draped along the walls made her come back to reality and she calmed down, petting her familiar, who was anxiously pacing up and down the bed. That’s when she realized she really had to go to the bathroom, although the trek to the toilet in the dark and unfamiliar house made her want to just curl back underneath the sheets. But she couldn’t wait any longer, so she took Charlie and perched him on her shoulder as she went upstairs. Every crack of the floorboards and noises coming from outside made the young fairy’s heart threaten to beat out of her chest, and not even Charlie’s reassuring licks on her cheeks were helping her feel more at ease. 

She was exiting the bathroom and going back to what was now her new room when something moved behind her and she didn’t even have time to turn around when a voice followed, screaming. Clio’s heart felt like it had exploded in her chest and she jumped five feet in the air stumbling back just in time to dodge something that wheezed past by her. A shrill squeak escaped her throat and utter terror invaded every cell in her body, her brain unable to process what was happening. The fairy fell to the floor in a mess of limbs, jarring her fragile bones as she scrambled to drag herself away from whatever was in front of her. An unintelligible mess of jumbled apologies escaped her lips as her tiny red fox barked fiercely and snarled angrily at the figure in the dark. Was she not supposed to be here? Did she accidentally walk into the room Iann had said was forbidden? Had he changed his mind? Had she unknowingly ruined something?

Bumping into a corner, Clio curled into herself, adrenaline masking her aches as she shook uncontrollably, trying to shield herself as she kept trying to apologize in between terrified and wheezing sobs. The fear and the darkness and the situation in general were too familiar, affecting the fairy harder than it should have, bringing back memories that were merely days old.

[casefilesofelizabethbell-deacti]

Sometimes in January//Open

[casefilesofelizabethbell-deacti]

The girl’s red fox came up to nudge against Elizabeth’s hand. She let it sniff her hand before scratching behind its ears. In general she liked animals. Their motivations were always simple. Even for someone who liked puzzles it could all be exhausting. Part of it was in that she was always aware that the people she spoke to had other motives, other plans. Elizabeth couldn’t talk to anyone without trying to tease out their ulterior motives. Animals on the other hand wanted food or love or to protect themselves. She found it relaxing.

At the girl’s obvious joy the corner of Elizabeth’s lips tugged up in a smile. “Yeah, Tink’s always been a bit more affectionate than I am,” she replied. As she understood it that was part of the whole fairy-familiar deal. They were complimentary, not the same. And sometimes Elizabeth needed affection. Especially after long nights when she watched relationships crumble in front of her eyes. 

As far as an answer to the girl’s question though she had no answer. She shrugged, looking out over the water. “Magic of some sort. But how or why I couldn’t tell you,” she said. The truth was after the first few days Elizabeth barely left the house. She couldn’t interact with other people while being unable to speak. Even for her it was too much. The loss of her voice had hurt nearly as much as the lost of her wings. And being unable to lash out at people had hurt her ability to cope. So Elizabeth had stayed home for once.

[aflightlessfairy-blog]

Elated at the caresses, Charlie made himself comfortable on the woman’s lap, curling up and watching the night unfold in front of him. Clio saw this and smiled more. It was a relief that Charlie wasn’t as afraid of everything as she was. He was exceptional at helping her make friends, his adorable and easy disposition charming everyone in a way that Clio could only be jealous of. But he protected her, and even despite his small size, he had kept her alive in more than one occasion.

The young fairy barely waited for the affirmation to leave Elizabeth’s lips before her arms found their way around the fluffy dog’s neck, buring her face in her fur. It was heavenly. Hugs in general were always heavenly, even if Clio could count the ones she had received with the fingers in one hand. But Tink was warm and soft and Clio could hear her heartbeat and it made her own very happy. “I... I love animals.”, she said dumbly, her cheeks burning with embarrassment as she pulled away from Tink, realizing how weird this whole scene must have looked for the other woman. “I... Um... I hugged a wolf once. A-And an elk. The wolf may have been a coyote... I don’t know if there’s wolves in Pennsylvania but there’s definitely coyotes. And elk. Elks are huge.”, she rambled nervously, playing with strands of Tink’s fur.

The older fairy was intriguing. She had a sad voice, which probably meant she had sad eyes too. That’s what people told Clio about hers, that they were green and sad, like a forest during a long storm. Clio knew about sad eyes but she also knew that sometimes other people helped her own look like a forest during a sunny day. So she scooted a little bit more towards Elizabeth. And then a little bit more, shrinking the distance between them. Maybe it would help. “This town is weird... Really weird.”, she said as she scrunched her nose, her voice a little lighter. “Have you been here long? Uh... Do you have a favorite kind of tree? What’s your favorite day of the week?”

[scarlettxruby]

Auld Lang Syne - Ruby +

[scarlettxruby]

Ruby smiled. “You’re welcome. And no, no wings. I’m human. Literally. Plain and boring.” Her head tilted at the woman’s question. “Thanks. But I’m from the South, not far from Atlanta, Georgia. The name Scarlett got a lotta jokes when I was a kid. You know who Scarlett O’Hara is? Gone with the Wind? Let’s just say it got old. So my friends thought calling me Ruby would be better, if not incredibly ironic.” 

“Honestly, you’re the first one I’ve met, so I don’t know.” Ruby frowned. “You guess? Don’t you remember getting hurt? I know someone who might be able to help you.” She thought of Ephram and his healing magic, how he’d healed the gunshot wound to her back. 

[aflightlessfairy-blog]

Clio started tracing aimless patterns on the damp soil with a stick as Ruby talked, still listening but finding herself too idle. She shook her head. “That’s not boring. Not at all.”, she exclaimed sincerely. “Plus, you can wear anything you want without worrying if a pair of wings will fit...” The fairy nodded. “Is it warm down there? Where you are from?”

Biting her lip anxiously, the blonde shrugged half-heartedly again. This conversation was turning a little too personal and a little too close to where Clio did not want it to go. “I do remember. It just doesn’t hurt much anymore. It’s... Uh, it’s healing itself, like bodies do. It’s just the cold... Isn’t helping.” The cold, the hunger, the aimless wandering. But if she said it enough, maybe it would be real and her wing would actually finally heal.

[casefilesofelizabethbell-deacti]

Sometimes in January//Open

[casefilesofelizabethbell-deacti]

The girl sat carefully. Elizabeth couldn’t help but imagine what she might do in the same situation. She probably would’ve left. Although of that she wasn’t so sure anymore. Lately she had felt more lonely, more wanting of a connection with someone. Anyway Elizabeth wasn’t in this girl’s place. No longer was she the little girl with freshly lost wings. She had grown, hardened since then. This girl’s wounds, whatever they might turn out being, were still fresh. Elizabeth gave her a soft smile, “Nice to meet you too.” She had found it was sometimes the best condolence. 

They sat in silence for a moment. It wasn’t uncomfortable or anxious like Elizabeth found most silence. It felt somehow like they were two people who didn’t yet know they understood each other. Somewhere in the back of her mind Elizabeth wondered if this was how starts of “beautiful friendships” worked. If one met someone and just understood them. She had never felt that way. But she had never been good with friendship either. Tink for her part cuddled up to the girl, happy to give whatever warmth the blonde might need. 

Clio’s question made Elizabeth laugh softly. Now that it was over Tink’s behavior was endlessly amusing. The German Shepard had been determined to make Elizabeth friends. “Yeah,” Elizabeth replied giving her familiar a scratch behind her ears, “Tink here was quite the chatty Cathy.” She didn’t mention the panic attacks or discomfort that Elizabeth had experienced. It was in the past. No need to dwell on things she could no longer change. Or at least that was what she told herself.   

[aflightlessfairy-blog]

The woman’s smile was contagious, and Clio found herself smiling back too. She had discovered that ever since she arrived at Sumner, the corners of her mouth seemed to be lighter, making it easier for her to smile. At strangers, because that usually meant that they wouldn’t stay as strangers for long. And they turned into friends, and friends were the greatest things in life. Charlie must have seen them smile too, because he slowly approached the woman, nudging her hand curiously. “He’s very playful and completely harmless...”, Clio said quietly, just for good measure. “And no rabies.” 

The young fairy was completely at peace. Her previous encounters with other fairies had been a little chaotic and rushed, but she imagined this was what should’ve happened instead. The understanding and the connection... Maybe. Or maybe she just had more things in common with this woman than with the others. Fae were still incredibly confusing to Clio and she felt really out of the loop with all the different people in the town. But she could get used to this.

A soft and elated gasp escaped her lips as s fluffy head nuzzled into her side, and she could feel her face lighting up. “Hi again, Tink.”, Clio said with a quiet giggle, freely petting the big dog. She was like a giant plush and like whenever Clio was surrounded with animals, she felt her heart swell with happiness. “Can I... Is it okay if I... Does she like being hugged?”, the young fairy stammered, a little breathlessly.

Clio’s smile got wider as she nodded along with Elizabeth’s words. “It was weird... Charlie was very talkative too. And noisy. His voice is like a little kid’s, I guess that makes sense.” Charlie kept climbing between Tink and Elizabeth, bouncing a little at the sound of his name. “Do you know why it happened?”

[aflightlessfairy-blog]

Aspen || Open

[ashnadir]

“’Course they do, you’re a fairy,” Iann said with a smirk.  “You’re all like the Snow Whites of the faefolk.  You know - birds and rabbits and shit, all…helping you while you sing and dance.”  He was clearly just playing the fool for Clio’s entertainment.  “It’s a he, not old.  Like a teenager or something, I don’t know.  You’ll meet him, and he’ll adore you.” That, Iann was sure of.  Jig was a friendly dog, after all.  “The other lodger has a dog as well, Sara.  That’s the lodger not the dog.  The dog’s name is Lemon.  And she is old as balls, friendly too. The dog, not the lodger.  Sara’s not so bad.”

Animal information dispatched, and poor Clio in her state likely confuddled,  Iann ushered her down into her room in the basement.  The room was still done up to be a bedroom ever since Bellamy’s departure.  It was simple, with a cabinet, a couple shelves, a wingchair and the bed - and of course all the fairy lights that Melissa refused to take down, because they looked so pretty.  

“Ha! Centaurs.  That’s be…actually I don’t know, but I after the things I’ve seen here, I wouldn’t be surprised,” Iann said, mulling the idea over in his mind.  “Merfolk are real though.  And other fae like you.  Gargoyles, pixies.  And werewolves, vampires…look, I’ll give you a crash course later on, don’t worry about it now.  Ah.  House rules - ah - kitchen and bathroom are two flights up.  There’s a sink in my workshop upstairs that you can use to brush your teeth and wash your hands though.  In the basement, you can look at the shelves of things, but don’t touch anything.  Melissa’s training room is in the back corner if you ever feel the urge to pump iron or punch something,” Iann pointed.  “And this other room is my second workshop, don’t go in there under any circumstances….”

He tapered off, watching how Clio was practically dragging herself now, mostly through willpower alone.  She was exhausted.  How long had she been traveling to get to Sumner? Iann wondered.  The fact that the poor thing accepted the first offer of room and board was evidence enough.  Iann was just grimly glad he’d come upon her and not someone with ulterior motives.   “Get yourself in bed,” he instructed, figuring that when she was asleep, he’d put a bottle of Gatorade on her bedside table.  She needed to regain some strength, but first she needed rest.  “Get some sleep, Clio.  We’ll talk later.”

[aflightlessfairy-blog]

Clio chuckled quietly, she remembered that movie. “I can’t sing... Or dance. But ironically enough, one time they did crowd around me while I was reading aloud for a Biology exam.” Words were flowing easier now, not because she was any less tired, but because she felt more and more at ease with Iann with every passing minute. She liked it. She liked not being scared of everything. There were two dogs. And a bed where she could sleep and be warm. And at least one person that was nice to her... Things were already working out better than Clio had expected. She just giggled again and rubbed her eyes. She liked this man.

In her zombie-fied state, Clio followed Iann, carefully watching her steps. The last thing she wanted was to tumble down face first and shatter god knew what else. A huge gasp escaped her lips at the sight of the little lights all over the room. And the fluffy bed. And everything. She was instantly enamored and couldn’t look away, her eyes clouding a little with tears of gratefulness and exhaustion. “Thank you... Thank you.”, she whispered reverently.

She nodded as he explained, her brain buzzing with all of this brand new information. Though she just felt more wary about all the new creatures and people to meet, it was a different world that she so desperately wanted to be a part of, yet she didn’t know if she was going to succeed. The house rules were instantly embedded in her brain, even if she didn’t really understand some things. How could iron be pumped? but she was too tired to actually ask. She nodded again. “We won’t give you any trouble, promise.” 

Kicking her shoes off, Clio traced the soft comforter on top of the bed and almost felt bad to disturb it by getting under it. But darkness was making it’s way into her brain, so close to getting a proper sleep. She remembered having a proper bed when she was a few years old, but it had soon be replaced by an old mattress on the floor. The fox pup was already curled on a pillow, sound asleep. The fairy slowly got in the bed, a heavy yet relieved sigh escaping her lips as she laid her head on the pillow. “O-Okay... Thank you.”, she barely mustered to answer as her eyes finally closed, a tiny smile on her lips as she drifted off to a much needed sleep.

[franfran-odonovan-blog]

Remy’s head craned back as her hand approached his face. His neck could only bend so far back without him seeming rude though. Eyes darting back and forth between her palm and her closed eyes Remy felt an odd tingling on the tip of his nose, like a butterfly had rested there. The feeling spread up to the bridge of his nose, followed by… nothing. No pain. He touched his nose again. There was no stinging. He looked back at the girl, still holding his nose, awestruck. “Ah… was that ah?” His head tilted to the side, trying to figure out what she was. Witch didn’t seem to fit her, which only left one other option…

He let go of the breath he didn’t even know he was holding. Either she didn’t know as much as she lead on or she trusted him. Remy sorta hoped it was the later, though there was safety in the former. He didn’t hear her muttering, though if he had he would have chimed red and yellow, kill a fellow, like he was taught in school. Tampa had hidden herself enough that it was impossible to tell if it really was red and black, or the dangerous alternative. “Her name is Tampa. And you? You got a name?” Remy jumped as a flash of red hopped into the blonde’s arms. Smiling, he leaned over to get a closer look at the fellow. “Hey there little fellow.” The pup looked mighty comfortable in her arms. Remy looked up at her. “So you are a fairy.” At this point it wasn’t a question.

He nodded without hesitation. “I don’t feel any pain thanks to your, what? Pixie dust? Mine can’t do that.” He leaned over the table, elbows flat on the shiny wood. “Well, I’ve never tried it so maybe it can– but I never heard of it being used like that.”

[aflightlessfairy-blog]

Clio’s hand tingled and glowed as the light seemed to twirl around his face, her tongue poking out in concentration. She could see how the muscles on his face relaxed and the pained look in his eyes disappeared and her own shoulders relaxed. Slowly, the blonde fairy put her hand back down and gave him a tiny and hesitant smile. “I... I don’t know. I’ve been able to do that for a while... I haven’t really done it on people, only animals in the forest. But... It works, right?”, she asked quietly, trying to find any oddities around his nose.

As the little snake hid, Clio brought her gaze back to the young man. “I really like her. She’s very beautiful and I had never seen that kind of snake so close.” Clio chuckled quietly as Charlie made himself comfortable in her arms. “I’m Clio and this is Charlie. He’s okay with it if you want to pet him.” The fox just gave him a curious look. “What’s your name?” The blonde nodded, “You are too, right?”

“Uh, I’ve never really given it a name, but I guess that’s fitting. What does yours do?”, she asked as she settled down on the table, eyes wide with rapt curiosity and attention, haven’t never met a talkative fairy before. She wanted to know it all. “So... Then what’s it used like? Do you know a lot of fairies?”

[scarlettxruby]

Auld Lang Syne - Ruby +

[scarlettxruby]

“Just my pride,” Ruby said, smiling up at the other woman. “But thanks.” the woman watched wide-eyed as Clio’s hand started to glow. It reminded her of Ephram’s magic, the way it coiled and glowed in his palm. “It’s beautiful,” Ruby told her. The only pixie dust Ruby knew was of the Disney variety, and she wouldn’t insult the fairy by telling her so. 

“It’s just a nickname, but thanks. Scarlett’s my real name. I don’t like it very much.” She looked at the woman curiously. “There are. Tons of them apparently. You shouldn’t have trouble meeting some.” The woman’s wings were tucked back again. “Is it an old or new injury? I’m sure there’s someone in town that could help you.” 

[aflightlessfairy-blog]

Clio blushed and smiled, letting the soft light linger on her palm for a few more seconds before slowly closing her fist and making it disappear. “Thank you. You’re very kind.” Brushing some snow away from her unruly hair, the fairy brought down a hand to her pocket to pet her slumbering familiar. “So... Do you have wings or something? I know a lot of people in this town are... Different.”

“Why not?”, Clio asked innocently, her curiosity completely harmless. “You’re named after a very pretty color, and it’s not like your name is actually ‘Red’” With wide eyes, Clio nodded, “And are they nice?” The small blonde shrugged heavily and sighed, “It’s... It’s old, I guess. But I’m okay. Don’t worry about me, I just wanted to make sure you were okay.”

[sheenabrennan-blog]

Starry Night Open:

[sheenabrennan-blog]

“I think it was in Mexcio, me and my family were seeing some people my sister knew, ever since then Ran hasn’t left my side.” She decided to choose certain words, leaving out the major details as to why her family was there was highly important. “Well i’m a vet, I help them in any way I can, I’m like an animal doctor if that makes sense?” it was hard to describe what exactly what she did.

She waited for a moment, thinking if there was something else she could offer but there wasn’t it was late, and her home was close one night wouldn’t hurt anyone? “If you want, you can stay with me tonight sleeping out in the cold will not be good for either of you.” It was true, nothing would help. “You don’t have too, but at least you’ll be warm, you can even have some warm food.” This wasn’t like her but she changing, she was making up for her sins.

[aflightlessfairy-blog]

“Oh, wow...”, the smaller blonde said, intrigued. “So you’ve been all over the world and stuff? That’s really cool. I wish I could see the world, but I haven’t really left the northeast.”, she spoke nonchalantly, pushing around some snow with her foot. “Charlie here came out from the woods by my house one day, and that was it. He stayed.” Clio nodded, eyes awed. “Yeah, yeah, that’s really awesome. I would like to work with animals one day too. It’s the only thing I can do, I think.”

Clio rubbed her face tiredly and listened to the woman. Her eyes widened and she blushed, the color on her cheeks barely noticeable under the moonlight. “R-Really? I mean... I don’t... We don’t want to burden you or Ran...” But it was getting colder and colder outside, and the trek back into their shelter in the woods was long and desolate. The childish voice inside Clio was telling her to just take the offer and quiet her hunger. “Charlie and I... We would be in debt with you. I don’t want him to get sick.”

[casefilesofelizabethbell-deacti]

Sometimes in January//Open

[casefilesofelizabethbell-deacti]

Most people would probably say that Elizabeth’s greatest flaw was her wrath or perhaps her pride. She did have plenty of both to spare. But Elizabeth always though that for her both were justified. She was angry when there was something to be angry about. And she was proud when she had reason to be. For Elizabeth her greatest flaw was her curiosity. It was always got her into trouble even as a kid. There were days she thought that it might be more fitting for Tink to be a cat. Of course curiosity killed the cat so maybe that wouldn’t be better. 

It was partially her curiosity and partially the parts of herself that she never laid to. The scars on her back that she never mentioned to the point of trying to pretend they weren’t there. The memories she tried so hard to drown in whiskey. Elizabeth knew the girl, standing with a small fox in her arms, was fae. But the way she shrunk in to herself Elizabeth had to wonder if she was a fairy like she was. In that she wasn’t really a fair at all. “I’m Elizabeth and this is Tink,” Elizabeth replied. After only half a moment’s pause she added, “You can sit if you’d like.” She nodded toward the empty blanket space stretching out beside her. Tink, having decided the girl wasn’t a threat, had gone back to sleep. 

Elizabeth didn’t say that it was because no one should be alone in the dark like this. Her more “mushy” side she save for only Tink. Safer that way. Still her actions tended to speak for themselves. For all her razor-tongued quips and barely concealed contempt for the world Elizabeth tried to protect people, keep them from living lives like she had.  

[aflightlessfairy-blog]

Slowly and carefully, Clio approached the woman, somehow grateful of the dark. It served as a delicate barrier, extra protection especially in first meetings. Things always seemed to be more leveled at night, giving less advantage and ironically, less element of surprise. She gingerly sat down in the farthest corner of the blanket set on the sand, curling up into herself and making herself even smaller. Charlie understood and he stood closer, even if Clio knew that he wanted to go climb all over the big dog next to them. “Nice to meet you, Elizabeth. And... nice to meet you, Tink.”, she said softly, wiggling her feet in the sand. 

Clio knew that the silence was a dangerous double edged sword. It could be a blessing, like when mother stopped tormenting and left her alone to take care of her wounds. Or a curse, like when silence meant that something was approaching slowly, very slowly, to add more material to her nightmares. But the silence in that moment was... comfortable. Natural. Clio had somebody to accompany her in her silence, and that was just what she had wanted many times. 

A few minutes passed, and Clio rested her head on her knees, Charlie dozing off on her shoulder. “So, uh... Did it happen to you? Could Tink talk and... And you couldn’t?”

[aflightlessfairy-blog]

Aspen || Open

[ashnadir]

“Yes.  Their physiognomy is similar, so I think you’re right about the chocolate,” Iann nodded, feeling utterly too pleased by her line of thinking.  He shook his head immediately at her question.  “No, I don’t,” Iann stated first, but then blinked and amended.  “Ah, my wife, she has a dog.  A bulldog, I think.  It’s name is Jig.”

Iann smiled at Clio’s question - but Iann also wondered how and why she’d come to even ask the question at all.  There was trauma in her voice, Iann could recognize that.  Iann was not particularly compassionate overall, but lone, lonely, drifting women with haunted eyes and mouths drawn tight from survival and undeserved experiences inevitably appealed into Iann’s remembrance of his mother.  She never turned a woman away, never judged them.

“Well, it’s no utopia,” Iann responded.  “Nowhere is.  But it’s certainly more open when it comes to…people like you.  Hm?  It’s a town for supernaturals.”  Although Iann knew that the Academy provided for low-income students, his own bias towards institutionalized education kept him silent about it.  “That’s okay,” Iann said cheerily instead.  “I know a lot about this stuff, so you can just ask me.  And confirm with others once your get settled in, get varied opinions.”  Iann tried to think of fairies he knew who he could introduce her too.  Elizabeth the private investigator?  She might not be the best choice, but…still.  

“Damn right you’ll help out,” Iann said gruffly, but not unkindly.  He parked at the front of Mal Ojo, coming around to open her door and help Clio out of her blanket tent.  “We own a shop, and it’d be great to have some help with it.  Don’t worry, no customer service,” Iann grinned wryly, unable to stop himself from teasing.  “We don’t want to scare the customers away with your fearsome appearance, after all.”  She was so tiny and frail-looking, Iann couldn’t see anyone being frightened by her.

He took Clio into the shop, which was close at the moment, but no less warm and cozy.  The occult shop was well-stocked and well-organized thanks to Melissa’s touch, full of all sorts of bottles, jars, stones, sachets and other things.  There was the vague smell of incense and beeswax.  “There’s a room already done up in the basement with the furnace.  It’s not paradise, but it’ll be warm.  No more Clio the icicle.”

[aflightlessfairy-blog]

Clio’s face lights up with a little bit of pride and she even sits up straighter. Acceptance is still a very foreign concept for her. Especially coming from older people. “I like animals.” The fairy says with half a shrug. “And they seem to like me back.” Her eyes widen with delight and she nods, “I wanna meet Jig. Is it a he or a she? Is it old?”

Clio nodded solemnly, looking down at her feet. “As long as... As long as they leave my wings... And Charlie alone, I’ll be okay.” She stroked Charlie’s fur absentmindedly, listening to Iann. “That’s weird... That there’s more... So there’s people who don’t only have wings? What other things do they have? Like centaurs, with horse bodies and stuff?” Clio looked back at Iann with rapt attention. “Really? You can teach me stuff? I know... I know I ask a lot of questions. But I like learning. Pretty much anything.”

It was dark, so the fairy couldn’t see as much as she would have liked of the town she had just entered. It looked like the typical small town, but Clio knew it wasn’t. With difficulty, she got out of the van, almost every one of her muscles protesting against the movement. “I... I can do whatever you tell me to do. I’ll learn. I won’t be a disappointment.”, she said earnestly, a pleading edge to her voice. She desperately needed to prove to somebody –and herself– that she wasn’t the waste of space and oxygen that mother had deemed her as. “...My what?” The fairy croaked, looking down at herself. She didn’t think she looked fearsome... Maybe just raggedy but... Oh, he was joking. She gave him a small and tired smile. “I’m glad I didn’t scare you then.”

Her movements were laggy and heavy, exhaustion seeping through her pores and settling in her frail bones. Clio could have just curled up on the floor and slept until the sun came out. The place smelled weird, but a nice kind of weird. The walls were full of things the girl didn’t recognize, but it looked... magical. “This is already paradise...”, she said with awe as she looked around, trying to fight her heavy eyelids.

[sheenabrennan-blog]

Starry Night Open:

[sheenabrennan-blog]

“Me and Ran have been together since he was only little, nearly twenty years.” Was it odd for her to say such a thing? Maybe, but it wasn’t out of character. She answered a simple question,  “I know a fair bit, It’s my job. Though I have the qualifications it’s also something I’m extremely passionate about.” Sheena carried to pet Ran while she talked to the young girl.

“Don’t be embarrassed, if you didn’t know how else would you know not to do it?” As Sheena  stopped petting ran as she knew he no longer wanted the fuss, he was starting to get cold. “You seem a little lost, do you have anywhere to go? I know it’s late and the weather is starting to change.” This was odd she was offering to help someone.

[aflightlessfairy-blog]

Clio kept watching the unique pair with utter fascination; they both looked royal. “Where did you find each other? If you don’t mind me asking... He... He probably doesn’t belong in the Northeastern woods, right?” Clio wanted to keep asking questions. About animals, about working with them, about helping them. “You work with them? What do you do with them?” she asked, her voice gaining a little more volume as her curiosity grew. 

The small blonde nodded slowly, “I think so, yes... That makes sense.” Charlie was now climbing up to her shoulders, trying to curl himself up on there, where her skin was warmer and more sheltered from the cold wind. “I... Uh... I don’t know. I’m... I’m not from around here.”, she said softly, feeling ashamed again. But it would be nice to get out of the snow, even if it was for a couple of hours. Last thing she needed was for Charlie to get sick.