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 Posted: Fri Oct 15, 2010 11:58 pm
"Children waiting for the day they feel good... Happy birthday, happy birthday..." Liesel sang the words softly under her breath, since she was in a library and you were supposed to be very quiet in libraries.
The little blond was too young to read, but she could make out most of the stories by their pictures, and she found she had a rather big bone to pick with some of the more famous fairy tale authors. Especially the ones who wrote about Rapunzel. Liesel took umbrage at the thought that her fate might be tied to that of the classic Rapunzel, doomed to wilt in a tower while her prince charming went blind and mad below her. And what about the Little Mermaid, who had to kill her prince to save her own life or turn into foam and float away on the sea? This happily ever after stuff all seemed to come at a pretty high cost.
"And I feel the way that every child should... sit and listen, sit and listen..." Taking an armful of various illustrated fairytale books to one of the child sized tables, the little blond sat down to peruse stories she was already fairly sure she probably wouldn't like.
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Posted: Sun Oct 17, 2010 1:20 pm
"Come on, Loki," Howl said, dragging his cousin to the children's section of the library. "Maybe you'll find something about animals." The wizard's cousin had seemed rather reluctant to make a visit to the library; the fae did enjoy reading, yes. Something seemed to be bothering him.
Though the fae hid it well, with a smirk. "I don't need to ask you what you'll be reading," he said. "Your favorite fairytale? How many times have you read it?"
Howl rolled his eyes. "As many times as I've wished I was back in it," he said. He had noticed a toddler sitting alone, and left Loki's side.
"Hello," he said cheerfully. "Reading fairytales? I know some better ones, if you'd like." Howl knew real fairytales. Ones that'd really happened. At least, they were true if you'd lived in Ingary at the time.
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Posted: Tue Oct 19, 2010 8:27 pm
Liesel turned her wide, guiless eyes up at the boy who had approached her, their sheer size making her look startled. She studied him as he offered to tell her better fairytales. He seemed to be very confident in his offer, though the other boy who was with him seemed less than pleased. Liesel glanced down at the picture books she'd gathered, then smiled at Howl.
"Yes please." She said, dimpling. "I'm tired of these ones. They're all so sad. I 'specially don't like that one." She poked a copy of Rapunzel with her index finger as if the book had done her great personal wrong. Which, as far as Liesel was concerned, it kind of had.
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Posted: Sun Oct 24, 2010 2:04 pm
In turn, Howl studied Liesel. "You're a rapunzel, aren't you?" he asked knowingly. "I can see why you wouldn't like the story." He paused, before glancing at Loki. "It just so happens that I have a real live fairy with me." He gestured at his cousin with a smile. "This is Loki. I'm Howl."
He sat down in one of the chairs, pulling a book from the shelf closest to him. He opened the book and nodded to himself, putting it down. "Alright, I'll tell you my story. Once upon a time there lived a great and handsome wizard named Howl. People thought he was evil because every girl in the land was in love with him."
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Posted: Fri Oct 29, 2010 1:45 pm
Liesel had nodded when he'd pegged her as a Rapunzel, suitably impressed. Her impressed-ness quickly turned to suspicion as he began his story. People thought he was evil because all the girls were in love with him? She found herself wondering just who had written this particular fairy tale and her big blue eyes sought out Loki, silently asking him if this was actually true or not.
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Posted: Sat Oct 30, 2010 11:58 am
Loki could only nod at Liesel; it was at least partially true. Howl had started the rumors himself, saying he was wicked and ate the hearts of young girls. Which again was true, in a figuritive sense.
Howl continued, clearly oblivious to the younger girl's disbelief. "This wizard tended to fall in love with every beautiful girl he came across, and for a time, he courted them. Until he met a gray mouse on May Day--"
Loki sighed. Now they were getting to the least believable part.
"He asked to take her to tea, but she refused." Howl sighed, clearly the pain of being rejected was still there. "Though," he added more cheerfully, "That little gray mouse got herself into quite a mess. A certain Witch turned her into an old lady, and she ended up on my doorstep." The wizard seemed extremely pleased. "She was cursed, the wizard could tell."
"And they fell in love," Loki finished. "They got married and lived happily ever after. Then they fought a djinn, had a son, had some issues with a lubbock--"
Howl frowned. "You didn't let me finish!" he complained. "It's my story."
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Posted: Tue Nov 02, 2010 10:40 pm
"At least it has a happy ending." Liesel offered. "And I suppose turning into an old lady isn't as bad as having your eyes torn out and wandering blind in the forest or the desert of somewhere for years." She added this last part a little glumly. So far, she hadn't been able to get a fix on how to get around that part. And while she wasn't interested in boys or weddings yet, Liesel was ultimately feminine and recognized that someday she'd probably want to get married and didn't really want him to have to go blind first.
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Posted: Thu Nov 11, 2010 1:15 pm
"We broke her curse," Howl felt the need to assure Liesel. He couldn't stand even the idea of her thinking he'd fallen for an old lady. No, he had a reputation for being with beautiful girls, and he wasn't about to break it. He paused, and studied her.
"I know a different version of that story," Howl said, "Where the prince saves Rapunzel from the tower. He climbs up using her hair. After he gets up there, she cuts her hair and they use it for a rope to get down. They live happily ever after, too," he added with a smile. He had heard that version during his first childhood. It had an altogether better ending, in his opinion. All those fairytales with violent endings, with gore, blood, evil people who won--
"I'll tell you that version," he said. "You'll feel better about being Rapunzel then."
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Posted: Sat Nov 13, 2010 1:54 pm
Liesel's eyes brightened considerably. She'd heard about the climbing up the hair and escaping, but in the end it never seemed to end well. Though... "I don't think my hair would let me cut it." The little girl said, wrapping a silken curl around one of her fingers almost protectively. "It doesn't really like it when I try to tell it what to do or change it."
It didn't even occur to Liesel that normal people did not have somewhat sentient hair that seemed to have extremely strong opinions at times. Her hair was her hair and, for better or worse, it wanted nothing to do with her except to sit on her head and be left alone.
"But I'd still like to hear your story..." She added with a smile.
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Posted: Thu Nov 18, 2010 10:36 pm
"My hair won't let me cut it either," Howl whispered. Well, really, it was the other way around. The wizard hated, absolutely hated, anyone messing with his hair at any given time. He liked it to be perfect. All the time. "It doesn't like to be messy, or dirty, or its color changed without my permis--"
"Howl's picky about his hair," Loki translated with a roll of his eyes. "You wanted to hear the story, Liesel?" I bet there's a way for you to get down without cutting your hair. We could make a version up, and that can be yours. What if, when the prince climbed your hair, he was smart enough to carry a rope with him? What if he was dashing, and handsome, and all those things princes are supposed to be, and fell in love with you as soon as he got to to the top of your tower?"
"And he ties the rope to your bed, makes sure it's secure, and helps you down," Howl added, catching on quickly. "And you two live happily ever after. In a beautiful castle with a garden, and a dog, and children--"
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Posted: Fri Nov 19, 2010 11:01 pm
"Ohh.. what a good idea!" Liesel had never before considered writing her own story. She hadn't even realized it was possible. She listened as the two boys made up an alternate ending with a widening smile.
"Do you think..." She began quietly... "Does it have to be a prince? Or could I maybe... rescue myself?" She asked this last part at barely over a whisper, as the thought of a maiden rescuing herself from a dire situation seemed a little silly and not terribly feminine. After all... if princesses rescued themselves, handsome princes would have nothing to do all day. But still... it was good to know all your options.
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Posted: Fri Nov 26, 2010 9:43 pm
Howl considered Liesel's question seriously. "Well, it doesn't have to be a prince," he said. "I saved Sophie, and I'm a wizard. I don't know about saving yourself though, that sounds difficult. I saved Sophie from from a wicked witch, she couldn't have gotten away by herself. But she gave me my heart back, so girls can save the day," he added.
"Why wouldn't you want someone to save you?" Loki asked, interested. "You could get hurt."
"You could save the prince, maybe," Howl mused.
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Posted: Sat Nov 27, 2010 10:25 am
Liesel gave the boys a winning smile, full of sunshine. If she'd been older it would have been stunning indeed. "I just wanted to know in case there isn't anybody else around." She replied. "I think it would be bad to get caught and have nobody there to help and not be able to help yourself."
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Posted: Sun Nov 28, 2010 10:09 am
"If no one else is around to save you, I will," Howl assured Liesel. He had a certain love for children; having had a son himself. "As long as you know, whatever's got you isn't especially frightening..."
"Or he's convinced himself he's not doing what he's doing to save you," Loki added with a roll of his eyes. "Everything scares him. But if he fails to save you, I will."
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Posted: Wed Dec 01, 2010 2:22 pm
"Thats very nice of you, but how will you know I'm in trouble?" Liesel paused and thought about her own question. "It seems that you have to be in trouble an awful long time in a fairy tale to get rescued." She added. The prospect was not one she relished. "All while someone is doing terrible things like taking away all your toys." Luckily, Liesel was innocent enough to believe that having your toys taken away was the epitome of vile punishments.
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