I've been thinking about magical characters who aren’t used to certain environments, and get sick quickly because of them.
As always, your whumpee tries to hide it as they're either embarrassed or just don't know what's happening to them...
(Maybe it’s the mugginess of the marsh or the dryness of the desert. Maybe it’s the barrenness of the tundra or the specific magical energy of the woods. Either way, its bad news for your whumpee.)
The Heart of Atlantis :: Atlantis: The Lost Empire (2001)
It's such a cool, weird, inexplicable thing--it may be sentient, given all of the spirits of Atlanteans inside of it, or at least Kida's mom (as it does give Kida's childhood bracelet to her after releasing her), it not only keeps Atlantis alive but the shards it empowers makes them basically immortal, a mere PIECE OF GLASS touched by it is enough to turn a man to crystal in one of Disney's more horrifying and explicit deaths, not to mention Kida's whole transformation with it is an absolutely beautiful sequence both visually and soundtrack-wise. (I suppose crystal Kida would also work here, but they're kind of the same thing)
The fifth story of my show-timeline comics, set after “Butterfly Metamorphosis”. Mina Loveberry is willing to dethrone Eclipsa at any cost (decent engame villain remember?)
The cottage was exactly as they had first imagined it. Built from strokes of watercolours and dutifully laid out lines and markings of ink on parchment. It had taken months for it to be finally realised and it was completely worth it. Worth every shred of moment and attention it was given in preparation for this final moment.
It resided in a beautiful clearing dotted with sprouting clouds of vibrant wildflowers and edges shaded by the massive oaks that surrounded the newly built property. Sunlight crept through the expanse of leaves, a rippling dappling of light coating every surface and softly warming the wooden and stone foundations of the building.
"It's still as perfect as our last visit." Sparrow remarked happily, a large, toothy beam forcing her to squint molten brown eyes.
Astera let her gaze flit between the surrounding and their cottage, pointed ears adorned with gold jewellery twitching in an obvious excitement. "Moreso, I believe."
Sparrow and Astera walked in together, hand in hand — though Sparrow's wings were fluttering with enough barely contained energy that she practically floated on every second step. No matter how many times the two of them had journeyed from the capital to their new residence, it never lost its new glint. Their final pieces of luggage rested on the front stone steps, half piled over the building pebble path. The suitcases were relatively small, mostly containing the necessities they had not brought over in the past days. Astera had one dedicated almost entirely to her books and binding materials, packed so tightly that the elf had been forced to use magic in order to click the luggage buckles closed. As usual, Sparrow's collection of personal affects had been somewhat smaller, fitting within one suitcase. Light enough for the shorter fairy to handle with ease despite Astera's offers to float it alongside them. It was packed with her final few dresses and skirts, carefully folded dyes and collections of seeds and sewing thread in a neat leather pouch to its side.
A humming of excitement threaded through the both of them, grinning at their partner in elated happiness. It mimicked the audible sound of Sparrow's flicking, sparkling wings. The sunlight was glinting off of the limbs, threading through the slightly transparent panes and tracing along the iridescent patterning of lines and curves. Astera was no more composed and her multitude of dark coloured braids had been significantly ruffled with movement over the course of their carriage ride over.
Two years. A stretch of time that was both miniscule and all encompassing. Two years since they had met on the stone cobbled streets of the Capital and fallen so head over heels that they could scarcely tell North from South in clear view of the rising sun. Life in the building city had been content but requiring constant maintenance. Sparrow enjoyed her work as an apprentice seamstress, spending her days preparing and dying fabrics in brightly spun colours. It had not particularly crossed her mind to see for more, or that she could bring her collection of potted plants and have it expanded. The cottage was built within a hub of constant, ebbing and flowing life. Crossing hares, flitting dragonfly over the surrounding creeks and ponds, so many birds and flowers and trees and plants that Sparrow could never keep track of them all even if she dedicated her entire life to the matter. Their dedicated library room was already filling rapidly and they were already planning a foray into the local town to purview their own collection of texts and markets. Astera had not left her love for texts along with her role as a scribe in the city, she was instead delighted at the available space they both had now.
Much time had been spent saving up their paychecks and gold between dates and strolls, it had all wonderfully paid off.
Sparrow wandered into the kitchen, leather shoes padding against the sunset coloured tiles lined with black spirals and painted adornments. A burst of warmth had settled in her chest and felt ever expanding, climbing through each vein until every limb was tingling with a liquid energy. She turned on her heel and gripped Astera's arm. Her lover followed smoothly with her tugging, mouth twitching into a pleased smile when Sparrow pressed a light kiss to her lips. The fairy could not help herself, smudging rouge of berries in a scarce imprint over Astera's forehead as she peppered her affections in a barrage. Astera freed her face with a laugh, bubbly and bounding over the cottage walls and tiles like pristine bells. Arms draped over Sparrow's shoulders, long and dark sleeves pooling over her wrist and stretches of the same fabric drooping over her form in a simple but elegant working dress. It complemented perfectly with the vibrant blues and greens of Sparrow's own skirt and loose blouse.
Eventually, the two of them were cruelly forced to part. Aware of the drooping sun and their still awaiting luggage at the front steps. There was much to be done before they could settle in for their first night in their home. One of countless spent in eachother's company and the marking of a lifetime more.
With a hum, Sparrow turned towards the artfully cluttered countertops and victoriously plucked the metal contraption resting to the top of the gas stoves. A nearby well filled the tap with a cool supply of fresh water, readily available to fill the kettle and set it above small, awaiting flames. A smattering of runes along its side glowing a stunning yellow as heat encroached over the metal surface, responding to the change of energy. Meanwhile, Sparrow plucked out two simple mugs and filled strainers with her collection of dried leaves.
When the intruding hissing of the boiling kettle began to split through the air, she poured it over the prepared tea and let it brew. Absently, she stroked a gentle hand over some of the flowers free crawling among the windowsill and countertop. Leaves and tiny, fragrant petals settled and grew in her grip until they were bright and at full growth. Then she dropped them into the mugs and let the smell of flowers and tea leaves fill their cottage. Astera was in their tea room nearing the other side of the house, letting unpacked books float in the air alongside her as she pondered and eyed the room with a scrutinising gaze. The elf tapped a thinking foot, clothed in a dark dyed leather with hardened soles that clicked ever so slightly. Half filled bookshelves littered the modest cottage and the abundance of empty spaces was proving to cause some degree of indecision regarding her last and most precious volumes.
Sparrow and Astera wouldn't change a thing.
The cottage had gained a warmth and sense of liveliness since they had begun sleeping within it's walls. Where it had been appealing and beautiful during the process of building and moving in, now it was homely. There was not a surface which did not have the imprint of either of them. Scattered writing tools and watercolour palettes or various spreading flowers and leafy vines. Although they would quite happily exist in the bubble realm of their joint home forever, it was time for Astera and Sparrow to resume their gold making activities. Sparrow could keep them fed with fast grown vegetables but they each had their creature comforts and Astera would wither in a world without fresh texts to sink her teeth into. Fairies were particularly sociable by nature as well, the local town and it's bustling markets were something she would not wish to go without. The decision to settle on the outskirts of it and bask in the quieter nature of the forest did not mean they wanted to do without the nicer parts of the city and it's company.
"So we'll go into town in three days time, are we needing anything besides the tea and meat?" Sparrow peered at their open pantry, going over the list in her mind. She liked to grow some of her own plants needed for tea but there was a particular blend they were both quite fond of which she had sadly never managed to perfect. (And she had tried many times.)
"I believe I finished off the last of the cheese, we should buy some more of that too."Astera was sitting by the counter, absently making two canteens dance across the kitchen until they were below the sink and being filled. Planning to walk into the nearby town for their groceries had seen them waking just as the first sprinklings of sunlight began to crawl through their windows and reflect off of colourful tiles and split against morning dew.
"I was thinking tomorrow we could do a cleaning day!" Sparrow shyly brushed a curly strand of hair behind their pointy ear. Her wings were already fluttering slightly, energetic from the planned day out and already imagining what tomorrow would look like too. Those days were always some of the fondest from her youth, sitting beside her brother and sister while her mother tied a bandana over her unruly hair and sent them off. The house would be filled with the SWISH of brooms, the ever present hum of wings flittering from place to place and the methodical splashing of soapy water over the tile and stone floors. Despite the lack of high musical talent in the household, they'd sing from whatever room the task had landed them in, repeating rhymes passed over generations or whatever lines of ballads they could recount from recent buskers down in the market block.
When Sparrow had first begun her apprenticeship under the city's tailor, the sudden broach into independence had felt invigorating. It was only when faced with her apartment on their usual cleaning day for the first time did the homesickness really begin to register. Tending to her apartment still carried the same importance as always but she'd be a liar if it wasn't a stark difference only hearing her own movements and voice. Gone was the usual comradery and long held tradition of shared work, she still missed it sometimes.
But it was fine! The apartment had been homely and lovely but she had an attachment to this cottage which managed to outweigh it already. Her home and her lover, Sparrow couldn't wait to share in those moments once more and finally light the hearth's fire. Nothing could break her mood, not even if her favourite pastry stand in the market failed to open and—
Astera took a sip from her tea and waved her off, "No need, I mopped and dusted yesterday evening."
Her hand on the pantry door knob faltered slightly and Sparrow blinked, rocking back on her heel to glance at Astera. "Oh, thank you." A small sting of disappointment pricked at her chest. Had she missed Astera cleaning and left her partner to complete all the work? She didn't wish to be like that, her mother would be scolding her up to the tips of her wings. She frowned, sorting through her thoughts. "When did you have time? We lingered in the tearoom for most of the day."
It had been a slower day than most but no less enjoyable. Cradling a steaming cup of tea and curling around a woven quilt draped half over her lap and half over Astera's. Over sandwiches, they had simply basked in the lovely weather spinning through the window and dedictaed time to doing nothing of importance. Astera had been nose deep in one of her latest novels, a spun tale of magic and dramatic court tellings of which Sparrow had been privy to amused recountings.
Astera had closed her eyes, cradling the cup to linger in the warmth of its ceramic. "I know a few proficient cleaning spells that don't take up as much of my focus, I simply did it in the background." She waggled her fingers slightly and the now empty tea cup shuffled over the counter in a playful, mimicking walk.
The other girl noticed the beginnings of a downtrodden expression on Sparrow's face and paused, smile falling slightly in confusion. "Are you alrigh—?"
BANG, BANG.
Sparrow flew half a foot into the air, startled and whipping her head around to the source of the noise. Astera stood as well, shoulders hitched in surprise as they registered the knocking and tentatively made their way over to the nearby wooden door. The doorknocker was of brass and patterned with a twirling floral pattern at its base. Despite the days spent in the cottage, neither had actually had company over. They were more well suited to market days and shared lunches with the townsfolk they had begun to become acquainted with.
The door swung upon under Astera's hand, both of them lingering curiously in the doorway to capture a look at whoever was visiting in the early hours of the morning. It was not yet even time for them to head into the market yet, having a slow time of dawdling in eachother's presence and catologuing their needs before they set out on the moderate forest walk. It was not far enough to need a carriage and the two of them enjoyed the moments anyway, happily watching the constant movings of birds and various fluffy creatures disappearing within long standing and stretching branches.
"Hello, how can we help you?" Sparrow spoke, glancing at the frazzled person standing on their front steps. They smiled a tad toothily, shifting from foot to foot. A dark and neatly tailored coat clung to their body and straight, short hair lingered over their ears, obscuring all but the faintest peek of pointy edges and simple silvers.
"Good morning, I don't suppose the collection of novels for Dr Sant is completed yet?"
Astera straightened with a nod, "I will retrieve them for you, I apologise if there has been an unintended delay."
The messenger waved his hands. "No, no, the doctor's patience is not a result of your work. I apologise for intruding upon your homestead."
Sparrow wandered back into the kitchen while the two conversed, watching Astera easily hand off a small crate full of beautifully bound novels with gilded metal corners and woven ribbons for marking. She'd been working on them for the better part of two weeks, eager for the large order to establish her presence in town a bit more since they did not set up market stands like some other local mongers. Sparrow checked over the packed satchels, mostly tuning out the conversation in favour of getting lost in her own thoughts.
A pang of homesickness she had not felt in a long while lingered at the base of her throat.
It'd be fine, Sparrow could simply bring it up again later. Better to have the conversation after they had completed the day's tasks and schedule. A lovely day out and lunch in their favourite tavern between tasks, the cleaning was a tiny thing she ought not to linger on.
The marketplace had been nice as always. The thoughts of timid unhappiness had all but left her mind by the time they reached the bustling mix of stalls. She'd stocked her satchel full of wrapped treats, a small pouch of new seeds she did not recognise and a pile of fabrics to use as she wished. Sparrow had donned a loose dress that day, warm orange and red's dyed from a wildflower that grew in patches around fallen trees.
When they'd finally trundled back through the forest path, laden with goods to restock their pantry and a mixture of creature comforts and new scrolls, they were each yawning and preparing for bed. Night had crept silently over the world and it felt deceptively late despite the fairly moderate hour. Neither of them protested climbing into bed a few hours ahead of time, Astera dismissing the small scattered bulbs of light she had been letting float around scattered lanterns along their walls.
Sparrow stretched out her wings and spine, letting it crack pleasantly before slumping into the goosedown bed and muffling her face within the pillow. She felt the bed shift beneath her as Astera climbed in similarly, curling up easily with an arm thrown over Sparrow's back.
With a yawn, Sparrow leaned back into it. The talk could wait till tomorrow, she didn't want to interrupt this.
Midday sun was drifting through every corner of the house and leaving it with a drowsy patterning of light which felt like the reflections off of a moving stream. Sparrow tucked her hair against her head, carefully tying a bow in her bandana at her nape in order to get it to stay stationary and neat. She'd donned a simple tunic and apron for the day, intent on completing some simple tasks before tending to her garden. Magic was a cornerstone of many aspects of society, she understood Astera's reliance on it. However, with a fairy's abilities stretching to the domain of organic things more than anything else, she found it hard to completely trust the stated spells.
No cleaning spell could compare to the simple assurance of a few hours of hard work, she'd had it told to her many times throughout her youth.
"If you wish to live within a home instead of a house, you must care for it as you would anything else." Her mother instructed, dampening her cloth once more in the soapy bucket between them. Each stroke of the cloth against tiles made it sparkle, as if she could actively see the little house brightening with a new happiness. "You must tend to a fire if you want it to remain strong and life is no different. Care for your belongings and residence and it will care for you in the same fashion."
Simple spells did not have the same effect. She wouldn't be able to see the difference, feel the sparks of energy as if it was a special type of magic in it's own right. Sparrow needed to make sure it was done properly, ensure that their home did not wither with percieved neglect.
She wandered back into the kitchen, content with her bandana and checking it in a hallway mirror for a brief handful of seconds. The bucket in the kitchen had already been prepared, rinsed and filled with carefully measured soap.
Sparrow paused in her step.
Except it was no longer where she had left it.
The counter was empty, her cleaning supplies gone like she had never pulled them out in the first place.
Astera was sitting at their small dining table, eating absently at a sandwich while she read.
"Astera?" Sparrow called, brow scrunching as she looked over the kitchen as if it would suddenly reappear before her if she concentrated hard enough. "Did you see where I placed my supplies? I could've sworn they were right here—"
"I put them away, the house is already clean." Astera tucked a small plait behind her ear, glancing up briefly. "I promise my magic is thorough."
Sparrow's wings straightened behind her like a shot, a ruffled frustration making them stand on edge. "What?" She couldn't keep the irritation from her tone. Sparrow had specifically shaved off pieces of her favourite type of soap, a lavender imbued mix that had the house smelling like home. "I didn't put it out for no reason!"
Astera frowned, confusion furrowing their forehead as if Sparrow had dropped to the floor and started speaking in tongues. Sensing her building irritation, she carefully placed down her bound novel to turn her full attention to Sparrow. "I already explained I cleaned it, what need is there to do repeat it in a needlessly hard way?"
"Magic does not give the same result, Astera. How are we supposed to hope for a home if we do not put energy back into it? Hard work is never needless."
"My spells are entirely thorough, the house is cleaner than it would be if you scrubbed at it for days!" Astera huffed, fiddling with the end of their draping sleeve. "Would you not rather spend your time otherwise?"
Sparrow flicked her hands out in wordless frustration, opening and closing her mouth before growling into the air and giving up on verbalising the sentiment in her mind. Had her partner never even attempted to properly tend to a home before? What on Earth had she been doing all these years? Surely she would not be left to do it on her own for the remainder of their lives, cleaning in just as lonely as a fashion as she had done so for the previous years.
Was a home with Sparrow not one worth putting true effort into? Was she as much of a shortcut as their magic? Something to breeze past in favour of the interesting moments and nothing else?
Tears pricked her eyes and she left the room swiftly, not bothering to take the time to use the staircase and flying all the way up to the second floor instead. She passed their bedroom entirely, beelining for a small sun room and closing the door firmly behind her.
Sparrow burrowed her face into the back of the fabric armchair beside the window. It was her favourite seat from her apartment, cherished and loved over many years.
A welling sadness pricked at her ribcage and miserably, Sparrow wondered if it would have been better to remain settled in her apartment.
Sparrow leant against the window, letting her cheek rest against the cool panes of glass and her wings droop behind her back. Her knees were curled to her chest and she felt rather dejected overall. Torn between wanting to wallow and wanting to seek out Astera and attempt again. The two had never really argued before, despite two years of partnership at this point, it was disconcerting.
Sparrow raked a restless hand through her hair, snagging on some unruly curls she could not be bothered to fix at the current moment. Her bandana had been abandoned on a coffee table somewhere to her right. It was unfair to feel so lonely while finally living with another again.
The choice of deciding what to do was taken and Sparrow tilted her head towards the doorway at the sound of climbing footsteps knocking softly against the wooden staircase.
Twisting her fingers, Sparrow resolutely stared at her lap when Astera walked in with a stilted stride. The clink of a tea cup made her recognise a new floral scent wafting through the air. Her favourite blend.
A bit tearfully, Sparrow picked it up and let the heat of the ceramic sink into her cold fingers. "Thank you."
"Of course." Astera paused for a second, rocking in place minutely as if having an internal debate of their own. Tired of being sad and really wanting to just sit by her lover, Sparrow shifted to make space on the chair. It was a tad squishy but Astera sat down eagerly and Sparrow leaned into her shoulder as soon as she had. "I'm sorry about putting away the supplies, I didn't mean to upset you. Anything that's important to you should've been important to me."
"It's okay." Sparrow took a slow sip of her drink, wincing at the small burn of it. Quietly, she admitted, "I apologise for overreacting, you didn't know it was important." The hundreds of small foundations and values that had built Sparrow up from the ground to the tips of her wings was so intrinsical that it was a lofty task to differentiate what might differ with others. Likely something she ought to work on.
"Explain it to me?" Astera's face was genuine, almost plaintative in her request. Sparrow resisted the urge to melt into a familiar puddle of fondness at the sight, she nodded immediately.
"Cleaning is an important task for fairies." She started slowly, trying to articulate herself as clearly as possible and rotating the words in her mind. "A lot of our values are based around energy. How it's shared through plants, taken or given back. If you don't give the energy back to your environment, it's seen as apathetic."
Astera listened quietly and Sparrow continued, growing in confidence.
"Cleaning day was always big growing up. We had a big household and that was the only time where everyone was together so we could keep the house our home, return energy back for the safety and energy it gives us." A wistful note slipped between her words unintentionally. "It's been years since it's been a task I can share with others and I didn't realise it could have not been an option."
Astera set down her cup carefully and Sparrow followed suit. "I think I understand. The academy I attended always stressed the importance of an exchange in magical energy in a similar manner. You had to return what you used, though I was raised with using spells."
"I didn't doubt your spells, I quite admire your magic." Sparrow spoke up, not wanting it to come across as insulting. "It's just another way to care for a home, one I missed more than I realised."
"Well that won't do." Astera tilted her to the side in thought. "I have no current bookbinding projects and we are not going into market tomorrow, you can show me how to do a cleaning day."
Sparrow smiled shyly. "Are you sure? I know it doesn't sound the most exciting."
A delicate hand held her own, bringing it to Astera's lips in a brief peck. "My love, your company alone makes it worth it."
Astera grinned at the way red flushed over her ears, the fairy fluttering her wings quickly and swatting her on the shoulder.
"You and your smooth tongue, Stera." She teased.
Sparrow leaned in with a smile still curling her lips and met Astera in a sweet kiss. Her lover and their home. She wouldn't choose to be anywhere else.
