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 Posted: Thu Dec 13, 2007 4:26 am
Whereupon a woman discovers a cabbage and uses it to her advantage
Note: I am writing the solos as if i am writing my book, so ties to the CPK world will be tenuous at best. I know that's bad, but i do wish to write this book so i might as well use the CPK to my own advantage.
Astraea, the Blue Fairy of the city of Odinne, knew that some great beast was stirring the moment the woman stood on her doorstep. Her doorstep was well swept, and bereft of all manners of icky creatures, but one would think that it was the most ill-kept step with this woman on top of it.
She was tall and straight as a poker. Her face was lined gracefully, her hair silver, not gray. Her clothes sat impeccably on her frame, every thread in place, every jewel beset with light. But with no chest to speak of at all. The woman was almost without fault to look at, and Astraea found herself judging things that mattered not at all.
Why, Astraea herself was stout, fat and ruddy-face, got winded at inopportune times and usually drank too much with the men, and shamed all the womenfolk around her.
With all this brewing in her head, Astraea heaved the old oak door open, and curtsied to the regal woman.
"Astraea, the Ble Fairy, at your sevice. What perchance are you looking for?"
The woman took solid, firm steps in to the cottage, her jeweled cane clicking on the ground. Astraea shifted hastily to the side to let her in, already at odds with the tall woman and on shaky ground.
"Blue fairy, is it?" The woman, or lady, now that Astraea got a better look at her finely made clothes, sneered. Her long, thin nose rose in to the air for a second, and one nostril flared, "I was hoping for a Red, or even a Yellow, but I guess you'll... have to do."
The woman turned expertly, her skirts making not the slightest ripple. Astraea was quite put off, and her facade of good-natured-ness faded.
"Oy, what's this all about, you walkin' in wit yer fancy-schmancy clothes, your little baubles and such, and then looking down upon me? You have no business in my business so I suggest you take your business to another business that strikes yer fancy. Unfortunately, no business is good enough for the business you brung so you be looking for a business that do not exist."
Astraea, red in the face from her efforts, crossed her arms, and nodded at the lady.
They stared at each other, Astraea with her bosom heaving, the lady with her nose in the air.
And suddenly, they laughed.
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Posted: Mon Jan 07, 2008 11:30 am
Astraea and Lady Kris sat in plump, cozy chairs, a fire crinkling happily behind them. All matter of pots and jars lined the small sitting room, and an oddly large number of doilies draped every surface.
Astraea poured Lady Kris a cup of tea, and added three sugars to the glass. The steam rose as Lady Kris sipped happily.
"Every time you come here, you seem to forget that blue fairy is third from the top, not near the bottom. I'm sure that you do have business to attend to, you've been rather busy these few weeks with the Black Gryphon crowd knocking at your doorstep at these inopportune times."
Lady Kris nodded, and clenched her fist. Smashing her cup on the table, Lady Kris seethed.
"They seem to have no idea just what they're dealing with, yet they seem to control forces that are unknown to us at the Arcane Academy. Even Wyrding University is having problems with them, though they aren't doing anything to provoke our anger save for asking impertinent questions. They just get on my nerves, as if they are watching us and waiting until we answer something wrong. Its like having a bloody pop quiz all of the time!"
Astraea patted her wrist absently. Lady Kris sighed, and lost her steam.
"That's nothing to do with you, they are forgetting that though White Magic is wilder than black magic, its no less powerful. I'd rather them not figure that out though," Lady Kris poured herself another cup, staring in to the fire, "Anyway, that's besides the point. This is what I meant to give you,"
Lady Kris handed Astraea a flier, printed on old parchment and decorated with gold leaf.
"What's this?" Astraea asked, reading the paper.
"Its an adoption form. You always wanted a child, right? So I thought I would use my influence to start the adoption process, but it was no need as they are more than happy letting you adopt one of their cabbages."
"Cabbages." Astraea looked at Lady Kris blankly.
"Yes, cabbages. Using more science than magic, though I am sure that there is something magical involved, one can only assume. So they sent you one."
Astraea stopped mid sip and swallowed hoarsely.
"Beg pardon?"
Lady Kris stood up, and went out the front door. Holding the door open with her foot, she picked up a crate off the ground and heaved it in to the cottage. The crate was filled with a leafy green cabbage, and Astraea rushed to the door, and stopped in front of Lady Kris.
"Whatever possessed you to do something like this? Yes, of course I have wanted a child for many years, but I expected it to happen magically, like Thumbelina or that fern girl! Not a hulking cabbage bought by a friend!"
Lady Kris laughed, and placed the cabbage on the table.
"How is this any different than them? The old woman who cared for Thumbelina wished for a child, and she received her, growing as a flower. The fern girl was also found outside, wrapped in ferns. You are an old woman also, though you do not look your years, and you know that the Fairy Godmother's took a part in both those cases. You know as well as I that you can't use your magic on yourself, nor can you use it on each other, so how in the world did you expect to get your child if not this way?"
Astraea sighed heavily.
"I guess you're right, though I am ill at ease with the way you claimed this. Doesn't sound very reputable if you ask me, just giving a cabbage away, to a woman not even meant to be raising it herself. Sounds fishy to me," Astraea knelt down, and opened the cupboard under the sink, rummaging around. Standing up with a watering can in her hand, she turned to the cabbage.
"Alright, well, I will take care of it. Though you will come over here if it turns out to be demon spawn. And you cannot charge me for it!"
Lady Kris laughed, and kissed Astraea on the cheek.
"Fare thee well, old friend. I smell the distinct smell of dragon's
blood in the air, and that is never a good sign when you're dealing with a city as flammable as this one. Will they never learn?"
Lady Kris shook her head in mock sadness and strode out the door. Astraea moved to close it, saying her good-byes but Lady Kris turned.
"I just hope that all turns out right for you. You've worked too many long, hard years with no reward and I hope this will count as payment."
"Thank you," Astraea said, her expression sincere.
"You didn't have to make as big as a gesture as this, though I suppose that you did grant my wish. Thank you, dear friend."
Lady Kris waved goodbye, and strode down Astraea's walk. Astraea closed the door, and turned back towards the cabbage.
"My, you're a big one, aren't you? Though I don't suppose you can answer me as of yet."
Astraea turned back to her work. No rest for the weary, especially for a fairy held in such high esteem as she.
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Posted: Sat Jan 12, 2008 2:11 am
In Which a Fairy Receives an Unnatural Calling and Cries Fill the Night
Astraea had been feeling uneasy for the last couple of days, her heart feeling heavy every time she left her cabbage alone. It was large and leafy and green and wholly capable of handling its own feeding, but Astraea felt a connection to the vegetable. When Lady Kris had brought her the cabbage, Astraea was certain that it was just a complex hoax played on her friend, but as the days passed, Astraea was coming to realize that the cabbage was more than just a normal cabbage.
"What gave you that idea? The fact that it is gigantic, or the fact that you can hear a heartbeat, you silly biddy." Omna called down from the rafters, cackling from within her cage. Reither scowled a birdy scowl at Omna and cooed down to Astraea.
"Don't mind her, she's very prickly today. She wouldn't have locked you in there if you hadn't tried to peck out that child's eyes." Reither scolded.
"He was looking at me funny." The two crows cackled at each other and Reither flew down to rest on Astraea's shoulder. Astraea patter Reither absently, and tried to get back to reading her book. One of the rich students at the University had lent it to her, and Astraea didn't want to keep it for longer than she had to, for the book was not a very nice one.
Feeling distracted, Astraea put her book down on the table and sighed, removing her reading glasses.
"Its no use. I'm too fidgety to actually remember anything that I am reading. Reither, I'm going for a walk. Keep an eye on Omna for me, will you?" Reither nodded, and flew over to one of the rough chairs, scratched with the crows use of it as a perch.
Astraea put on her coat and gloves, and braced herself for the bitter cold. Opening the door, she was hit with a blast of cold air, and she shivered.
But anything was better than being alone in her cottage without anything happening other than Omna being an annoying presence.
Astraea stepped lightly over the packed snow, the crisp air cheering her up. Astraea hadn't realized how closed in she had felt for the past week until this moment. No one had come to her shop for a wish or even a little potion, and Astraea was bored out of her skull, though she wouldn't mention it to her crow familiars. Reither would worry and Omna would tease, and Astraea sometimes wondered if her familiars had been placed with her to test her patience, not to make her life easier. Astraea's feet had started to follow the same path they did every day, though Astraea's mind was on other things.
Soon, she was at the front gates of the University, the large iron gates looming above her oppressively. She hated how the university looked, so oppressive and stern, when she knew that just a few simple colours and a cozy atmosphere would make all of the difference in the world to the students. A man walked past her through the gates and Astraea scowled when he did not hold it open for her.
Some children never learn manners.
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